THE CENTRAL POWERS

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 20

THE CENTRAL POWERS

(By Cable.)

RAISING THE BLOCKADE. THE TARIFF QUESTION. PARIS. August 11. Official: Since the raising of the blockade the prices of food in Germany have fallen 50 per cent. Meat is now 4s 6d •per lb, butter 18s, and potatoes lb. The British authorities at Cologne have issued a proclamation stating that the Allies are entitled to the benefit from all the preferential tariffs which Germany granted to foreign Powers since August, 1914. The proclamation refuses to recognise Germany's demand that duties shall be paid in gold or paper currency at a reduced* rate of exchange. A COMMERCIAL INVASION. LONDON, .August 12. German commercial travellers are already returning to Allied countries. Some have reached England, but were unable to get rooms at hotels and were obliged to find private apartments. They also had a chilling reception from business houses. The largest incursion was into Switzerland, where the Germans made desperate efforts to rehabilitate themselves. The Swiss are able to make big profits, as they buy at the level of the German mark and sell at the level of the Swiss franc. The Germans are also giving long credits. Germany has prepared a huge scheme to exploit Russia commercially. August I s - Mr E. Shortt announced that the Government would admit German business men to Britain if the admission would benefit British trade. The Germans would be subject to suitable conditions. For example, their duration and stay in places visited must be reported to the police, and they must notify their change of residence. Mr Shortt added that repatriated Germans would not be allowed to restart in business. August 15 A German wireless message states that a Gorman company has established a regular steamer line to the Levant. The first steamer leaves Hamburg for Constantinople and Varna on August 23. August 17. The German mark continues to fall in value. 85 marks being now offered for one pound This is due to the reduction of the British army in Germany and to the fact that Switzerland and other States bordering on Germany are no longer active buyers in German currency, while many Germans are selling out in order to transfer their wealth abroad. DISSOLUTION OF GENERAL STAFF. LONDON, August 13. The German General Staff will be dissolved on the Ist of September. The In-

telligence Department will continue as a branch of the Foreign Office. EXPERIMENTS IN PRACTICAL SOCIALISM. LONDON, August 11 (delayed). The Daily Chronicle's Berlin correspond: ent states that the German Government has formulated proposals to give legal- rtatus to factory councils on the lines of the Guild Socialist movement in England, thus giving industrial life a democratic basis. Thus far the proposals only recognise single factories, but the Government foreshadows District Imperial Economic Councils, including employers and employees. The basic idea of the present scheme is to give the workers equal authority with the masters in all questions affecting the social conditions of factory life, and the right to examine economic questions. Where as few as 20 are employed shop stewards will be elected to the councils, which will be elected annually. Boy workers above 20 years, agriculture, and the liberal professions are included. NEW CONSTITUTION PROMULGATED. BERLIN, August 13. The new German Constitution has been promulgated. Herr Bauer is appointed Imperial Chancellor. The National Assembly will henceforth be styled the Reichstag, while the Federal Council replaces the States or Federal Committee. A decree by the Imperial President orders all officials and members of the defence forces to take the oath under the new Constitution. Herr Erzberger, speaking in the National Assembly, outlined the Government's financial reorganisation policy. He said it was intended to proceed immediately with the creation of a mercantile fleet, also to make State advances to Ger mans abroad. A NECESSARY PRECAUTION. BERLIN. August 17. fe The National Assembly has passed a Bill to prevent fortunes" being smuggled out of the country. REPATRIATION OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS. BERLIN, August 12. The Government has addressed Marshal Foch, protesting that Germany is not allowed to send 300,000 prisoners back to Russia, as the Allies believe the prisoners would assist Bolshevism. The protest states that Germany has insufficient food for the prisoners. EVACUATION OF LETTLAND. BERLIN, August 17. A German Government Note to the Entente denies that the evacuation of Lettland is being purposely delayed; but declares that it is proceeding in accordance with the agreement. The military leaders declare that the German volunteers are most bitter at the non-fulfilment of the

Ullmani's Cabinet's promise to allow them to settle and become Lett citizens. They emphasise the danger of increasing the friction by an over-hasty evacuation. PARIS- August 17. Berlin has recalled General von der Goltz from the Baltic Provinces. I - A BAVARIAN FREE STATE. COPENHAGEN, August 12. The Bavarian Diet, by 165 votes to 3, adopted the new Constitution of the Free State of Bavaria. A proposal to abolish titles and the nobility was rejected. | DISTURBANCE IN LUXEMBOURG. PARIS, August 16. i The recent disturbances in Luxemburg, when a crowd of 20,000 peojile attacked the Grand Duchess's palace and Parliament Building, arose out of a demonstration ostensibly directed against the high cost of living; but it is believed that it was really connected with the refusal of . the military authority to allow the formation of a Republican Government. BETROTHAL OF GRAND DUCHESS. BERNE, August 18. The Grand Duchess of Luxemburg is betrothed to Prince Felix Bourbon Parma, who is an officer of the Austrian army. He is a brother of the ex-Empress Zita. A FOODSHD? ARRIVES. COPENHAGEN, August 9. Advices from Budapest state that the blockade of Hungary was raised yesterday, when an American foodship arrived with a cargo, including a large quantity of . condensed milk for children. The new Administration has issued a decree annulling the Soviet Government's decree making land public property. WHOLESALE TORTURE AND ASSASSINATION. BUDAPEST, August 12. The arrest of the leaders of Bela Kun's Terrorists disclosed horrible devices for wholesale torture and assassination. DURING THE BOLSHEVIST REGIME. BUDAPEST, August 11. Sensational stories of the maltreatment of the bourgeoisie show that the torture chambers were fitted up in vaults under the Parliament buildings. A favourite method was to show the victims dismembered parts of bodies, such as the arms, legs, noses, and eyes, and offer them a chance of saving their lives if they confessed or paid large sams. The corpses of the murdered persons were collected at night and thrown into the Danube, heavily weighted. Some of the torturers have been arrested and confessed. One was ioxmd in possession of a number of blank execution warrants for public suspects. August 16. The Bolshevist leaders confess that they had planned a kind of St. Bartholomew's massacre for August 7, when the police

and other officials suspected of favouring a counter-revolution were to have been murdered, and next night there would have been a wholesale slaughter of the whole of the bourgeoise of Budapest. ARCHDUKE JOSEPH AND HIS AIMS. BERLIN; August 12. The Archduke Joseph bas proclaimed that he has no intention of reintroducing the monarchy or of accepting the Crown. ROME, August 14. The Milan newspaper, Corriere Delia Sera, interviewed the Archduke Joseph at Budapest. The Archduke said he accepted the invitation to lead the Government in the hope of serving his country. He invited the Socialists to co-opexate in this task, as he desired all parties to participate in the Government. He did not aim at restoring the monarchy; the country would decide that question at the general election, which would possibly be held in October. LONDON, August 17. According to messages from Milan the Archduke Joseph states that during Bolshevist rule in Hungary he was obliged to keep hidden, moving from village to village,, while his two sons and daughter earned Cheir living-by cutting timber and ploughing. PARIS, August 14. Czecho-Slovakia has protested to the Allies against the restoration of the Hapsburgs at Budapest. ARCHDUKE JOSEPH INTERVIEWED. NEW YORK, August 17. Interviewed by an American correspondent in Budapest, the Archduke Joseph denied that his assumption of the regency was part of a Royalist plot. He said that officers represented to him that it was his duty to save the country, therefore he assumed a dictatorship; but he will resign as soon as the new Cabinet is firmly established. He merely asks to be allowed to make his home in Hungary. / Replying to a question whether he would accept the Crown if the National Assembly requested him to do so, the Archduke Joseph said it was a difficult question to answer at this time, and he could not make a reply until such a request came. A NEW GOVERNMENT. COPENHAGEN, August 16. It is officially reported from Budapest that the Cabinet has been re-formed, with M. Frederich as Premier, M. Lovaczy as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and General Schmitzler as Minister of War. The Bourgeoisie, Radical, and other parties are represented, including small farmers, Clericals, anti-Semites, and the old official class. Several portfolios were offered to Social Democrats, who hesitate to accept them owing to fears of Conservative Bourgeoisie parties. It is intended to abolish Count Karolyi's scheme for proportional representation. A GUARDED ATTITUDE, PARIS, August 14. The Supreme Council has instructed the Allied Minister at Budapest to observe a guarded attitude towards the Archduke Joseph's Government, the Supreme Council desiring to see the latter in operation before coming to a final decision in the matter of recognising such Government. BUDAPEST, August 11 (delayed). Several British monitors and patrol boats have arrived to watch the Danube shipping. RUMANIAN REQUISITIONS MODERATE. PARIS, August 14. According to Le Matin a Rumanian Note which has reached the Legation has established the fact that the Rumanian requisitions on Hungary were very moderate. A CONCILIATORY REPLY. PARIS, August 14. Rumania's reply is reported to be conciliatory. The "Czecho-Slovaks have protested to the Supreme Council against the Archduke Joseph's accession. THE CAPTURE OF BUDAPEST. = PARIS, August 15. The Rumanian reply protests against the Allied Council's charge that Rumania was desirous of separating herself from the Allies. The reply points out that Rumania only received the Peace Conference's telegram which orders her not to enter had been captured. The Supreme Council, in a conciliatory reply, pointed out that the Allied generals will constitute a diplomatic mission and will not .issue orders to the Rumanian army. CZECHO-SLOVAKS SUCCESSFUL. BERLIN, August 18. A message from Prague states that Czecho-Slovak troops to-day "occupied the bridgehead at Presburg, and were crossing the Danube at two points, partly on rafts and partly on bridges. They silently captured a Magyar picket, whereupon the whole garrison surrendered.