AMERICA AND GERMANY

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 28

AMERICA AND GERMANY

NEWSPAPER COMMENT. AMSTERDAM, June 11. The Lokal Anzeiger (Berlin) states that the attempt to reach a peaceful solution with America should not be prematurely abandoned. Germany should not aggravate political relations without a purpose. THE NOTE. VELVET GLOVE OF CONCILIATION. WASHINGTON, June 11. The Note is more friendly in tone than was expected. It reiterates the previous demands, and leaves room for a friendly reply. It has also become known that President Wilson is not opposed to diplomatic discussion, but that he insists on a guarantee that American lives shall not be jeopardised during the negotiations. The State Department officials take sharp issue with Mr Bryan’s interpretation of the Note, and declare that there are no grounds for asserting that the Note will lead to war. That contingency will only arise if the attacks are repeated. The consensus, of newspaper opinion indicates that within the velvet glove of conciliation is the iron hand of purpose. MR BRYAN’S POSITION. WASHINGTON, June 12. Mr Bryan issued a statement to GermanAmericans .urging them to aid in maintaining peace between the United States and the Fatherland by exerting their influence on the German Government to persuade it not to take steps likely to lead in the direction of war. He stated that the criticisms of America’s neutrality were stronger from the Germans than from the Allies. He explained that all the belligerents had the right to purchase arms from the United States, and that the Allies, by commanding the sea, had the advantage of Germany. He asked them to forget any suspicion of lack of friendship on the part of President Wilson towards the German people. NEW YORK, June 12. Dr Dernburg left for Germany in the Norwegian steamer Bergensfjord, occupying a suite of cabins converted into a bower of roses by American admirers. AM SPY. LONDON, Juno 12. The newspapers are giving prominence to the confessions to New York papers of Mr Ignatius Tribich Lincoln, who was a member of the House of Commons, rep re-

senting Darlington, in 1910. Mr Tribioh is the son of an Hungarian Jewish shipowner, and at one time acted as a Presbyterian missionary. Subsequently he was ordained to the Church of England ministry in 1903, and became a naturalised Englishman in 1909, when he took the name of Lincoln. He assisted in electioneering as an anti-Tariff Reformer, who took parties of working men to Germany to gain experience of life under the system of protection. Mr Tribioh, who was not again elected to Parliament, became bankrupt, and was then employed as Hungarian censor at the War Office at the outbreak of the war. He conceived an abhorrence of England owing to alleged cruelty to aliens, and determined to act as a German spy. He was able to give Austria and Germany important information owing to his having highly-placed friends in England. He wished, however, to bring off a coup, and offered his services to Sir E. Grey and Mr Winston Churchill, but without result. Finally, by bringing useful information from Rotterdam, obtained from the German Consul, he won the confidence of the British Secret Service and propounded a scheme of luring part of the British fleet to a certain bay where the Germans were within easy striking distance, but the secret service refused to disclose the whereabouts of the British fleet to anyone. Mr Tribich then described the codes by which the German spies transmitted messages to Germany, giving particulars' of the movement of the fleet. Finally the secret service discovered his fraud, and Lincoln fled to America. SOLDIERS IN TRAINING. LONDON, June 12. The Bishop of London has repudiated with righteous indignation the suggestion that the soldiers in training are behaving badly as a body. In many cases there were remarkable examples of good behaviour to the people where the men are billeted. The cry of “ war babies’’ that had been raised by the newspapers had turned out to be a great delusion and was an exploded bubble. The women generally had behaved well, though young, giddy girls, excited by the presence of so many khaki men, had caused mischief in some of the camps. The problem was a serious one at the commencement of the war, but the suggestion of a scheme of prevention by the enlistment of women patrols had turned out well. They acted with tact, judgment, and sympathy. THE PRINCE EITEL FRIEDRICH. WASHINGTON, June 11. Lieutenant Brauer and a number of the men interned on the Prinz Eitel Friedrich broke their parole and escaped to Europe. The commander of the Prinz Eitel Friedrich asserts that Brauer and his men left the ship before its internment or the arrangement for their parole. INDIA STILL AT WORK. SIMLA, June 12. Numerous newspapers are expressing disgust and horror of German methods of warfare, particularly the use of gas, proving that India will do her utmost to crush a ruthless enemy. Recruiting is proceeding vigorously throughout India, and all sections and classes of the community are working in aid of the war funds. Ambulance workers are specially busy, and have already sent over £50,000 worth of gifts'. The latest Red Cross donations include 14 motor ambulances for the war hospitals and three motor launches for the Persian Gulf. MORE GIFTS FROM THE PRINCES. SIMLA, June 12. The interest and assistance of the Indian princes in the various war funds is unabated. Recent gifts include from the Maharajah of Sirolu, 25,000 rupees ; the Maharanee of Dholpur, 10,000 rupees; the Maharajah of Bharatpur, 50,000 rupees • the Maharajah of Hoikar, one lakh of rupees for comforts for the Indian troops at the front; the Rajah of Poonan, 20,000 rupees for motor ambulances ; the Maharajah of Datia, an armoured motor car. The chiefs of Katiawar have increased their contributions for motor ambulances to nearly two lakhs of rupees. GENERAL NEWS. LONDON, June 11. Tlie Hon. T. Mackenzie has handed to the Belgian Committee Canterbury s £IO,OOO, also the Southland school children’s £2OOO. The committee has received £2OOO from West Australia and £IOOO from Northern Tasmania. A neutral correspondent sums up his impressions in a striking metaphor. He likens Germany to a huge centrifugal machine, discharging energies at its periphery. The machine will give out when its central store of energy is exhausted, but every effort is being made to conserve and increase that store. In this respect Germany is providing an instructive contrast with Great Britain. In the House of Commons the Home Secretary (Sir John Simon) stated that 3339 additional aliens' had been interned, and 2274 had been repatriated, all the ■ o n nnj-ppnrvrln TJ dvdildKlp row filled. 1 The Advisory Committee had considered 1309 applications for exemption, and had granted 159 of them. In the House of Commons, Sir L. G. Chiozza Money protested against a recruiting poster addressed to young women, which says : “ Is your best boy in khaki V 1 Mr Tennant, Under-secretary for War,

replied that unusual methods were sometimes desirable, as the appeals must meet the most varied tastes. The recent Birthday Honours list contained the bestowal of a knighthood upon Mr Chiozza Money. AMSTERDAM, June 12. Serious wages strikes are in progress in Lower Silesia, and are spreading. Negotiations between the owners, miners, and Government officials have been opened. AUSTRALIAN ITEMS. SYDNEY, June 12. The number of Rugby Union footballers who have enlisted now totals 1008. A large meeting of influential women inaugurated an Australasian League of Honour for women and girls on the same lines as the British League. MELBOURNE, June 12. Mr Andrew Fisher, being asked in the House of Representatives whether the reported visit of the Canadian Prime Minister (Sir R. L. Borden) to England to consult the British Cabinet over war problems was part of a concerted action by the dominions, said there had been no negotiations by the dominions for the purpose suggested, and he though it would not be wise. It was left entirely in the hands of the British Government to say what was best to protect the Empire and to carry on the war. HIGH COMMISSIONER’S CABLEGRAMS. j LONDON, June 12 (9.5 a.m.). Army : Men—killed, 491; wounded, 509; killed by gas, 16; died from gas, 5; missing, 38. Officers —killed, 17; wounded, 70; died from gas, 1; interned in Holland, 2. Admiralty’s Dardanelles losses: Officers — killed, 4; wounded, 8. Men—killed, 25; wounded, 77; missing, 2. West Africa: Officers —killed, 4; wounded, 1.