THE CENTRAL POWERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3353, 19 June 1918, Page 47

THE CENTRAL POWERS.

GERMANY AND PEACE TALK. GERMAN PEOPLE DISAPPOINTED. REIGN OF TERROR IN AUSTRIA. RUMOURS OF A GRAVE CRISIS. (By Cable.) The Munich Neueste Nachrichten publishes a semi-official Note declaring that G will never resume public discussion of peace proposals, owing to her unpleasant experiences over previous proposals. The Note suggests that the only means of belligerents reaching an understanding is by secret negotiations. A Berlin message states that the German Government and the German Army Command are arranging for a declaration of Germany's war aims. The Kreuz Zeitung says that the Avar cannot end by a settlement of territorial difficulties, but it will end if England assures the freedom of the seas by reducing her navy, dismantling Gibraltar, Malta, Aden, and Singapore, and internationalising their harbo'urs. Germany would need the Flanders coast, but she would surrender Belgium. The Kreuz Zeitung, in developing a peace offensive, says : Germany's colonies must be restored, and guarantees must be given that the future development of Germany's world political position will be secure against British obstruction. CRITICAL SOCIALISTS. The Socialists in the Reichstag attacked the military authorities, and accused them of keeping regular officers behind the front while reserve officers were sent into the firing line. They also complained of the excessive discipline.. Herr Cohen, a Socialist, speaking in the Reichstag, said the west front had become the enamel house of Germany's best manhood. The war had now become a family question for the Hohenzollerns. General Wriseberg, in reply, said it was necessary to maintain strict discipline, as soldiers returning from Russia were imbued with Bolshevik ideas, and were everywhere circulating revolutionary pamphlets. PRUSSIAN SUFFRAGE. According to a Berlin telegram the Suffrage Bill passed its fourth reading in the Prussian Lower House, with the proposal of the Conservatives and the National Liberals for the introduction of proportional representation in the mixed language districts of the eastern provinces. The Prussian Lower House's rejection of franchise reform for the fourth time is causing widespread bitterness, and threatens the disruption of the National Liberal and Roman Catholic Centre parties. The attitude of the Government, which promised to stand or fall by the equal franchise issue, is awaited with growing interest..

During the suffrage deabte in the Prussian Parliament' M. Horsansky, a Polish deputy, declared that the suppression of the Poles formed part of the Prussian caste's programme. 'Caste Had unchained the -world's hatred against Germany, and it wanted to enslave the whole German people, who would live at peace only when caste's power was broken.

SHOCK TO GERMAN CONFIDENCE. The Central News states that neutrals who had an opportunity of studying conditions in Germany say that the people are dissatisfied with the results of the offensive, which falls far short of what has been promised. Their confidence has received a shock. But despite the dearth of food, and subsequent sufferings, there is no evidence of a general unwillingness to be fed on promises of victory and advantages it will assure them, nor any faltering in the will to continue the war even at the price of much suffering. The military factor continues dominant, and so long as the offensive holds possibilities of a German success, economic privations will bo cheerfully borne. Official : Fresh despatches from France say that the German press is' pessimistic about the situation in the United States. The German newspapers say that President Wilson hopes to crush the German elements in the United States, and will succeed. All the German schools in America have been closed, and all the German papers have been suppressed. After the war, say the German papers, German commerce will be unable to enter United States ports, and German steamship companies will not be allowed to have docks or shipyards. It will, in short, be the end of Germany's trans-Atlantic commerce. Thus Germany's European '"victory" will in a measure be balanced by her losses in America.

The New York Herald's Paris correspondent has secured documentary proof that tlio German leaders know they cannot win the war, even if they take Paris and Bordeaux.

Their army's morale is weakening, and the health of tho people is alarming. Physicians who recently had a conference at "Heidelberg protested that starvation

conditions would lead to Germany's doom. The peoplo are under-nourished, and the infantile mortality is 68 per cent. A British air raid on Cologne, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim caused a panic, and the lines of refugees were miles long. The realisation of the extent of America's shipping output is finally dissipating German hopes of victory. AN AMBITIOUS SCHEME. Herr von Payer, Vice-chancellor, has outlined to a representative of the Neue Freie Prcsse an ambitious scheme for the settlement of the political and economic union of Austria and Germany with Poland and the northern border States. -Von Payer hopes for a disappearance of the Customs frontier, and the inclusion of the Balkan States, and even Turkey. A great feature of the project is similar training, arming, equipment, and military supply system. Herr von Payer said that after the war the maintenance of European peace would remain in the hands of Austria-Germany, and it would be in good hands. Herr Scheidmann (Majority Socialist) accepted the Vice-presidency of the Reichstag, and promised to attend the Kaiser and the Court. The Majority Socialist party approved. The Weser Zeitung hopes that the sharp difference of opinion between Germany and Austria concerning Poland will not endanger the alliance. It points out that Count Burian favours the AustroPolish solution, which Baron Hertling (German Chancellor) strongly deprecates. GRAVE CRISIS IN AUSTRIA. DAILY EXECUTIONS. Austrian advices through Switzerland state that Austria is in the grip of a reign of terror. The Government is shooting, arresting, and banishing all persons on whom the slightest suspicion rests. A large number of deputies, mayors, and councillors, and even priests, have been imprisoned. The political prisoners now total tens of thousands. The Emperor diaries, who is under German pressure, is ruling more autocratically than any previous ruler ever did. Executions take place daily for treason. As a result of mutiny among Austrian marines at Pola, 40 were shot one one day recently. The State Department advices report that Slavic agitation in Austria is growing alarmingly. , Placards announce that the Government will suppress the uprising with all force and without pity. The Austrian military authorities in Poland have issued a statement that it is impossible to meet all the amplications by military courts for hangmen to carry out death sentences. The authorities urge the commandants to secure voluntary men rather than mitigate the sentence by shooting the condemned men. Rumours from Europe suggest that an upheaval is threatening in Austria. The riots in Vienna are reported to be serious. Continued reports are being received of grave disorders in Austria. On the Bourse the Vienna exchange has dropped; the whole florin to 25.30. The Austrian krone normally worth lOd, is now worth 4gd. The Geneva correspondent of the "Daily News reports that a semi-official statement which has been issued in Vienna warns the population against agitation by the leaders of the smaller nations. There is an iron censorship on all news concerning Czech and Jugo-Slav movements, which is an indication of official nervousness and of the delicacy of the international sitxiation.

The newspapers in Vienna,. Budapest, and Prague have been forbidden to publish Secretary Lansing's recent statement or the decision of the Versailles Council.

Various newspapers violently accuse England of being behind the new menace. Mysterious allusions to the so-called "green army" crop up in the speeches of the Austrian Pan-Germans, who urge the Government to crush this movement mercilessly. It is understood that the "green army" consists of 60,000 fully-equipped Slav soldiers, filled with a spirit of revolt. Many Slavs are deserting the Austrian army on the Italiaii front, and are joining the "green army." Serious riots occurred at Lemberg, Galicia, on Saturday. A huge crowd looted the provision shops and military food wagons. The police efforts proved powerless, and the military were called out. an enormous number of arrests being made. The authorities have asked for 5000 additional soldiers to keep th.o peace. The situation continues serious.

The Daily Chronicle's Zurich correspondent etates that the Austrian frontier is again closed. Smuggled newspapers show that tho Austrian Slav prisoners from Russia have produced a highly mutinous feeling in many parts of Austro-Hungary, particularly among the Slav units under German officers. A battalion of Slovaks belonging to the Seventh Infantry Regiment mutinied -at Oudenburg, shot their officers, and pillaged the town. The mutiny was suppressed after several days by systematic trench warfare. Czech soldiers mutinied at Rumberg, and fought a pitched battle. A regiment of Hungarian Serbs mutinied at Funfkercher. In all cases German oflicers were the first victims. Meanwhile political chaos is increasing. A majority of the deputies are against the Government. Premier Seidler is afraid.to risk a general election. Everything points to a new period of repression. THE BULGARIAN ARMY. According to a statement by the Serbian Press Bureau, the desertions from the Bulgarian army number from 10 to 15 daily. These men come to the Serbian lines with a bedraggled, starved appearance. They say the Bulgarian army is badly fed, but that Bulgarian civilians are in a still worse

! plight owing to Germans denuding tho ] country of corn and cattle. GENERAL. Mr A. J. Balfour (Foreign Secretary^. in a letter to the Czech-Slovak National Council in Paris, intimates that the I British Government will give the Czechj Slovak movement the same recognition as France and Italy, and will recognise tho i Czech-Slovak army, to which a British liaison officer will be attached. As tho result of a- large explosion at a big munition factory near Breslau, six workmen were killed and 200 injured. The deportations of Germans from China to Australia 13 arousing anger in Germany. In the Reichstag a deputy gave notice asking what reprisals tho Government were taking against England.