AMERICAN PREPARATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 16

AMERICAN PREPARATIONS.

The U.S. War Department has asked for an additional grant of 450,000,000 dollars for aircraft. Three wireless installations have been discovered- in New York, including one plant in a Broadway skyscraper. President Wilson has asked Congress for authority to seize German-owned piers in American harbours. A Bill has been introduced in Congress empowering the President to conscript labour froAi the drafted men to work farms, if necessary. / The United States Government is organising 5,000,000 children to cultivate gardens and increase the food production. They will bo instructed by 40,000 teachers. A Bill has been reported in the Senate empowering the Government to sell all propertv in America owned by Germans, or in which the ruling financial interests are German. It is estimated that German interests in piers and public utilities amount to more than a billion dollars. The Archbishop of York, who is visiting America, in an address to the-United'. States soldiers, said: "Unless America gives her full man-power to the Allies the issue of the war must be left doubtful." Replying to greetings from the New York Pilgrims, King George cabled: "I deeply appreciate your hopes for the victory of our common cause, whereby alone the world's future peace can be assured." Five prominent Socialists have been indieted at Chicago, charged with obstructing recruiting. A commercial agreement between America and Spain has been signed. Spain agreed to send supplies if needed to General Persliing'e army, thus relieving the shipping situation. THE ARGENTINE. ' The American and Argentine Governments are arranging a conference of all the American Republics with a view to reaching a basis of a real union of the American nations. Argentina has decided on active participation against the Central Powers on a basis of a reciprocity agreement with the Entente, under which the latter are sending coal and merchandise and are financially assisting Argentine* industries, receiving in return all the Argentine's exports. A TRICK THAT FAILED. The Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent, referring to M. Pichon's (representing the French Government at the AlsaceLorraine national celebrations) revelations, says that the references to the fortresses of Verdun and Toul being needed by Germany as guarantees for_ French neutrality appeared at the end of a long despatch from Hollwcg to von Schoen, German. Ambassador at Paris, only portion of which was published in the German White Book. When von Schoen offered France neutrality

Ihe expected that M. Viviani, 'then Premier, would either accept or reject it outright. In the latter case France would have had to bear the onus of commencing the world war. If, on 'the other hand, France decided for neutrality, von Schoen _ would have, disclosed th« humiliating conditions — i.e., the cession of the fortresses. The trick failed, M. Viviani merely replying that France's conduct would be dictated by her honour and her interests. ESPIONAGE IN FRANCE. In connection wHh the espionage arrests, one of those involved is Trembiez, formerly Rosenberg e connclentiai agent at jf aris. .tie is the owner of a luxurious chateau in Britanhy, and his mistress is Suzy Depny, an actress, who is the wife of a man named (juniain. 'ihe latter is also one of the gang. Juio Petit Parisien states that Trembiez tola a frond that his Swiss affairs had earned him £160,000. Tlie authorities searched his premises, and the search disclosed tnat he nas been communicating with the Germane. It also led to the suspicion that German submarines have been obtaining, cj.' attempting to obtain, supplies from the coast of Brittany. They therefore set a trap, which resulted in the arrests. Revelations in the Rosenberg case show that he and an accomplice named Bettelheim eupplied Italy with a list of Austrian iegiinents engaged in tne ltanan offensive, and simultaneously supplied Germany with information concerning the French operations. iSettelheim was a society man, and introduced the ex-Khedive to a German agent, who guaranteed the ex-Khedive several million francs annually during the war for acting as the Central Powers' chief agent in Mussulman countries. Germany also promised ( the ex-Khedivo a large sum if Britain failed io restore his revenues after the war. i INDIGNATION IN SPAIN. > There is widespread indignation in Spain'" I owing to the newspaper revelations of Ger- ! man intrigues of 1916-17, proving that the Embassy was directly communicated with and encouraged the Syndicalists to organise revolutionary strikes and outrages on property in order to produce unrest and confusion and embarrass the Government. They also initiated an ararchist meeting at which Romanones was assailed. GERMAN PROPAGANDA AND PLOTS. Newspapers draw attention to a remarkI able instance of German propaganda I whereby many officers of the Swiss army are the recipients of a series of pamphlets upholding German military discipline, the virtues of German militarism for the > emulation of other countries, inasmuch as they embody all the manly qualities most admirable in soldiers and civilians. They were all printed in the North German Gazette Office. The United Press Petrograd correspondent learns that Germany, with the aid of Lenin, is endeavouring to cause an industrial revolution in the United States, Franco, Italy, and Great Britain. The correspondent adds that the Germans proposed to the Bolsheviks that German agents, sailing in Russian ships, should bo sent to the countries mentioned to act as agitators. ' The attitude of the Russian Government ! to this proposal has not been ascertained.

GERMAN WAR LOAN. The eightn German war Joan opens on March 18, and closes a month later. It consists of 5s per cent, bonds and4£ per cent. treasury bills, botli being issued at UiS. Earlier war loan scrip is convertible into new. AUSTRIA'S FOOD SHORTAGE. The Burgomaster of Vienna, addressing the municipality's oliicials, said that tno word "bankruptcy" might be written on the door of tho Austrian Food Department. Vienna, lie said, had again been obliged to ask Berlin's assistance, but the Government utterly failed to realise the desperate situation. Unless wheat from Ukraima was soon obtained Austria would be incapable of holding out. According to the Volta Agency the Austrians have court-martialled and shot hundreds of prisoners. Groups are now ehot daily -in the Ravine Valley. DIVIDING THE SPOILS. Vienna newspapers state that the Central Powers ordered Okrainia to deliver before April 15, 30,000 wagons of corn, 2000 wagons of frozen meat, and 1000 wagons of dried fruits, receiving in exchange agricultural machinery and iron. Although not demanding an indemnity, Germany intends levying various forms of blackmail on Rumania, including the payment for requisitions, during the Central Powers' occupation, amounting to ~-i.0,006,C0Q sterling. Berlin newspapers admit that Germany's interests in Rumania are purely economic. They demand a monopoly of the oil industry, and claim a surplus of the corn.* The Hamburg Fremdenblatt states that Germany has secured the use of the Rumanian oil industries and large quantities of grain and fodder. The newspaper 6tates that Ukrainia is endeavouring by April 15 to deliver large quantities of gain, sugar, frozen meat, and dried fruits. A Vienna newspaper states that Austria and Germany have agreed to divide the Ukrainian wheat stocks equally.