CONDENSED CABLE NEWS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1490, 21 November 1918, Page 3

CONDENSED CABLE NEWS.

ITEMS FROM MANY QUARTERS. A Hungarian republic has been proclaimed. General Pctain has been created a marshaPof France. A new wireless invention will make high receiving or sending towers unnecessary. It is officially announced that F each troops will occupy Vienna, Prague and Budapest. There is a great boom in divorces in Sydney, there being 350 suits for the final sitting of the local Court. Ships carrying 200,000 tons of food from the United States to France, Belgium, and Austria, are now ea route. The. German Government is replacing the Imperial ilag by the black, .red, and yellow colours of the old Roman Empire. It is officially announced that Ambassadors Chimin and Matsiu will represent Japan at the Peace Conference. The Right Hon. J. Burns has abandoned his candidature for Battersea, refusing to sign the Labour Party's constitution. Belgian troops entered Antwerp on November 19 amid scenes of great enthusiasm. A solemn reception took place at the Cathedral. Messages from Archangel state that heavy Bolshevik attacks against the British and Americans at Tulgas, on the Dwina, were repulsed. The minesweeper Ascot was torpedoed and sunk with all hands on November 10 off the north-east coast of England. Piftv-three men are missing. Half a million German troops, released from Russia, have occupied Minsk. Steps are being taken to supply them with much-needed food and clothing. The newspapers state that the Pope is intervening in the difficulties between Emperor Carl and his wife. The annulment of their marriage is possible. The princes and principalities of Sehwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Sehaum-berg-Lippe have renounced their thrones, and republics have been established. The situation in Germany is further confused. Prince Eitel is remaining at Potsdam and is issuing proclamations, expressing the solidarity of the new regime. The War Office states that the military situation does no* admit of the commencement of demobilisation excepting the limited numbers required for industrial reconstruction. Canadian clubs and other organisations throughout Canada are cabling to Sir Robert Borden in London to insist on the exemplary punishment of the exKaiser and every Hun criminal. According to an American Government official, President Wilson will travel to France on the United States transport Agamemnon, which was formerly the North German Lloyd liner Kaiser Wilhelm 11. In the House of Commons, the Food Controller stated that he was aware that international combines were operating in foodstuffs, but the inter-Allied Food Council could be trusted to cope with the danger. The "Telegraaf" (Amsterdam) states that an aeroplane, believed to be German, bombed the Swaelmeu Castle at Roermond. The Crown Prince was in the castle, which was badly damaged. There were no casualties. In connection with the proposed great inter-Allied pageants to celebrate-victory, it is anticipated that all the Australian and New Zealand divisions will be given an opportunity of marching through the streets of London and Paris. Large numbers of German troops are retiring via Dutch territory. '' Le Temps'' states that the Dutch Government consented to this, and thereby constituted a precedent, of which other belligerents were justified in taking advantage.

Returned war prisoners state that brutalities against the British increased everywhere in German camps three months prior to the armistice. Yorkshire soldiers say that they left 2500 out of 4000 interned at Cologne too ill to move, mainly the result of starvation, exposure and punishment. The "New York Times" Peking correspondent says it is believed that the presidential mandate ordering a cessation of hostilities on all fronts will result in a peaceful solution of China's civil war. The southern militarists have agreed to obey the mandate. Dispatches from Tokio say that the Powers are contemplating joint management of the trans-Siberian and the Chinese eastern railways, for the purpose of facilitating the reconstruction of Russia. It is understood that the United States, Prance, and England agreed to the plan. The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times" says that according to figures given in a Federal Reserve Bulletin the war up to the signing of the armistice had cost the principal belligerents two hundred billion dollars (£-10,000,000,000), not including damage done by the armies.

All the German Conservative parties have amalgamated against the Socialists. It is anticipated that the Liberals will join the group. There was an enormous demonstration in Berlin on Sunday to celebrate the revolution. Thousands of troops marched in procession singing the "Marseillaise." The Admiralty announces that British merchant tonnage losses in October totalled 84,000 gross tons. The Allied and neutral losses combined totalled 0:i,000 tons. The sailings of steamships exceeding 500 tons gross between the United Kingdom and oversea ports, excluding cross-Channel traffic, exceeded 7,500,000 tons in October. The "New York Times" Washington correspondent states that, according to reliable information, the American Government 's opposition to the sale of American-owned stock in international mercantile marine was due to the fact that the transfer would have involved cancellation of the credit which British interests received in the United States.

The Washington correspondent of the "New York Times" states that senators who conferred with the President believe that President Wilson intends to remain in France until the major portion of the work of the Peace Conference is concluded. It was indicated that President Wilson is specially interested in the question of the freedom of the seas.

Mr Lloyd George telegraphed to President Wilson: "Heartiest thanks for your cordial, kindly message. I am certain the ideals of our two countries regarding international reconstruction are fundamentally the same. I feel sure that at the Peace Conference we will be able to co-operate to promote peace, liberty and true democracy world wide." The disorderliuess of the German evacuatiou is largely owing to many soldiers surrendering. They refuse to leave France, declaring that the people arc dying of hunger in Germany. Several hundred men were killed during a revolution among the German soldiers at the Deverloom Camp, Bel-

gium. Many officers escaped in aeroplanes. The cannonade was heard in I Holland.

There is a growing feeling that the ex-Kaiser's presence in Holland is a menace to Europe. Some newspapers demand that he should be extradited and put to trial. The "Daily Chronicle's" Paris correspondent gays the Allies' inaction regarding the exKaiser has provoked anger and disgust. It is pointed out that the alleged abdication is enveloped in mystery, and it is questionable whether the ex-Kaiser really signed away the rights of the crown. There is nothing to vouch for its authenticity except the ex-Chau-eellor Max's bald announcement.

The majority of the papers throughout America consider that President Wilson is making a mistake in going to Europe. Some concede that he will probably be better able to judge of the need of his presence there than the people are. There is a feeling that if his presence at the preliminary conference should materially aid in the formation of a League of Nations and making future wars less possible, his visit will have been more than justified. Some papers think he should remain at home and attend to important legislation and other matters which arc sure to arise during his absence. Mr Asquith, addressing London Liberals, said that during the next six months future world development would be in the crucible, therefore, it would be a blunder and a calamity to plunge Britain into the tumult of a general election. The strongest argument against an election was that the soldiers would not have returned in time to participate, and the Parliament brought; into existence would be so truncated and mutilated that it would lack moral authority. He entered the election frankly as a Liberal, but was prepared -to support any Government which grappled with reconstruction problems on progressive lines.

Events in Holland are shrouded in mystery. The latest telegrams are dated Thursday. It is feared that a grave crisis has arisen since no information regarding Sunday's great Socialist Labour Congress has been received. A correspondent, writing on November 14, fears that the revolution is growing, especially at Rotterdam, where the arrival of troops has increased the excitement. The "Morning Post's" Amsterdam correspondent, however, anticipates that the effort to overthrow the Government will prove stillborn. The "Guardian" learns that Troelstra on November 13 summoned Queen Wilhelmina to abdicate. The garrison at The Hague supported the demand. Threatening crowds demonstrated in the streets, and the situation seemed for a few hours to be out of hand. It is stated that the Queen decided to abdicate, but during the night loyal troops were brought from provinces, and the garrison, faced by a big force in the morning of November 14, laid down their arms, and the crisis passed. The Government is being reconstructed, and is expected to take strong repressive measures. The position presently will be stabilised.