AMERICAN PREPARATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 15

AMERICAN PREPARATIONS.

A Bill has been introduced in Congress, which recommends the of 30,000, inmates of tho gaols for the production of war supplies. The Railroad Bill has been passed by the 1 House of Representatives. It empowers the Government to control the roads till two years after tho war. A referendum of the Chambers of Commerce of the United States was overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution warning German business men that an economic combination will bo formed against them after the war unless the danger of excessive armaments is removed by making the German Government a responsible instrument controlled by the people. Tho American War Trade Board announces that as a result of tho American embargo, the food exports from Northern European neutral countries to Germany have been reduced by 65 to 75 per cent. Additional restrictions by America are expected further to increase tho acute food shortage in Central Europe. •.. ■ The United States authorities have published a letter circulated in the- Spanish army, urging a closer relationship between the Spanish and German armies, and also a letter endeavouring to prevent Spanish merchants from supplying the American forces in France. Eugene Schwerat, a millionaire wool merchant, has been arrested on a charge .of being a German agent. Ho is to be interned. It is stated that he conspired to corner all tho wool in America for Germany. He holds £600,000 worth of wool stored in Washington. A Jewish contingent has been drawn from various cities and sworn into the British Fusiliers. They are to proceed overseas to join 'the Zionists forming tha nucleus of a Jewish army. GERMAN TRADE UNIONS AND PEACE. Mr Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labour, has received a message from the head of the German trade umon3 inviting American Labour to dis T cuss peace. Mr Gompers replied: Wa can't talk now. Either you must smash your autocracy, or wo will smash it fof you." . The American workers unanimously approve of Mr Gompere's refusal to discuss peace with the- German workers. The invitation was received through a Dutch Labour leader, who reporter! that . similar invitations havo been sent to British and French Labour leaders. _ ' Mr Gompers points out that tho Gev-' mans would not allow a trade union delegate to leave Germany unlees he was tha