GENERAL ITEMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17635, 27 May 1919, Page 5

GENERAL ITEMS

MR CHURCHILL ON CONSCRIPTION. GENERAL ABANDONMENT . INTENDED. (Delayed in Transmission.) LONDON, May 15. Mr Winston Churchill, Minister of War, speaking at Dundee, said that wo were not going to bo a conscript nation. We were going to make Germany abandon conscription, and then abandon it ourselves. It was necessary that the victorious Powers should exercise patience, and be firm and clear in their guidance, in order to prevent new and small States from quarrelling and collapsing. They must prevent a union of German Imperialism with Bolshevism. Mr ChuTchill met with a hostile demonstration at the outset of his speech, the demonstrators protesting against the Allied expedition to Russia.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE POLISH FRONTIER. GERMAN TROOPS TO BE ■ FORWARDED. " (Delayed in Transmission.) COPENHAGEN, May 15. The Berlin Lokal Anzeiger states that reliable veteran troops are proceeding to Upper Silesia to reinforce the frontier guards and repel Polisli attacks.—A. and N.Z. Cable. LUDENDORFF'S DICTUM. WAR WON BY TANKS. AND BY WHAT ELSE? (Delayed in Transmission.) NEW YORK, May 15. rhe New York Evening Post's Berlin correspondent has interviewed Ludendorg who said it was due to the tanks that the Allies won the war. He would not concede that the entry of the United States made the slightest difference to the outcome. Germany would have won but for the revolution. Ludendorff added that Germany should have built more tanks, but her industries were not equal to the tremendous demands for war materials. The U boat warfare, he said, was necessary, and it brought England to the verge of economic collapse. The U boats did not bring the United States into the war; the United States would have entered in any circumstances. ''I am willing," he added, "to testify before a tribunal inquiring into responsibility for the war for the purpose of vindicating the Fatherland."—A. and N Z Cable. ' " FLOATING "MINE OFF NEWCASTLE. ,_ SYDNEY, May 26. lhe naval authorities are of opinion that tne floating mine recently found off the coast near Newcastle probably drifted trom the New Zealand mine area They state that the Australian coast was cleared of mines some time ago. SOUTH AFRICA'S WAR EFFORT. GRANT OF RAILWAY MATERIAL. /■d • j C Ap EIX>WN, May 21. (Received May 26, at 7.30 p.m ) In the Union Assembly the Minister of Railways announced that the Imperial Government had decided to give the Union Government £500,000 worth of railway _ material, in recognition of national services rendered during the war.