GERMANY'S STRAITS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17502, 19 December 1918, Page 5

GERMANY'S STRAITS

THE PREMIER'S PROTEST.

AGAINST ALLIED DEMANDS.

AMSTERDAM, December 17.

Herr Ebert, in a speech in Berlin, said the economic and .political situation of Germany was serious. He protested against the very fyigh Allied demands. He announced the establishment of a newnational defence army, which would protect the National Assembly.—A. and N.Z. and Renter. RIOTING IN DRESDEN. BERNE, December 17. There has been rioting in Dresden. The demonstrators pillaged the military 6tores, but were dispersed by Government troops after five had been killed and 40 wounded.—A. and N.Z. and Renter. STRIKE ON COALFIELDS. COPENHAGEN, December 17.' The strike is spreading on the Ruhr coalfields (in-Westphalia), and 16,000 men i are now out. A serious coal shortage is threatened.—A. and N.Z. and Reuter. BOLSHEVISM SPREADING INDUSTRIALLY. NOT AMONGST THE SOLDIERS.'' NEW YORK, December 17." (Received Dec. 19, at 0.5 a.m.) Mr Dosch Fleurot, cabling from Berlin, states that Herr Fehrbacher, president of the National Arbeitor Soldatenrat, demands the reassembling of the Reichstag. He declares _ that the Government cannot mcontinue with the support of the soldiers and workers only. He eays the Entente will _ not deal with ' the * Soviets. The opinion is growing throughout Germany that before the opening of peace negotiations the Entente will insist that the German Government must not be based on the Soviets' power. The troops who are pouring into the city from both fronts are not carrying the red flag, but industry seems to be Bolshevising itself. A Berlin factory suburb, with a population of. 300,000, considers itself an Independent Socialist republic. While Bolshevism is politically under control it is spreading: industrially. —A. and N.Z. Cable.