BERLIN INTENSELY EXCITED.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14284, 13 December 1916, Page 5

BERLIN INTENSELY EXCITED.

EXTRAORDINARY PROCEED-

INGS

STATES' MINISTERS SUMMONED

TO BERLIN

RUMOURS OP PEACE WITH

ROUMANIA. *

POOD CRISIS IN THF^CITY.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable 'Association)

(Received Dec. 12; 8.10 -p.m.) r " London, Dec. 11. Tfafe "Daily Telegraph's" Rotterdam correspondent says . Berlin continues to be feverishly excited in anticipation of the meeting of the Reichstag. A semi-official statement added fuel to the flames, declaring" that not only would it be the most remarkable meeting since the war began, but, also of worl'3 historic imDortance. .

Every kind of, speculation is rife. ■.The-ilmpo'rial. ■Government is conferring with the leading statesmen of 4 all iiho States, who were summoned' to Berlin.

Another remarkable proojeduro is that all the neutral Ambassadors were invited to meet Dr. yon Bethmann Hollweg this evening.

Herr Zimmerman, the new Foreign Secretary, will meet the party leaders to-morrow morning, prior to the gathering of the Reichstag.

All the deputies, including those: in the field, were summoned by "wireV'Dr. yon. Bethmann Hollwcg telegraphed on Saturday instructing the President to summon J;he Reichstag. The'public arc commenting upon the fact that the action was taken immediately Dr. yon Bethmann Hollweg returned to Berlin from headquarters,-where an important conference was held, the Kaiser and King Ludwia of Bavaria participating. Rumours regarding the Chancellor's speech range frojn peace proposals to the establishment of a. new Balkan Confederatibn. The favourite idea is the promulgation of a separate peace with Roumania and King Ferdinand's deposition in favour of a Hohenzollern nominee.

A semi-official communique warns the public against believing rumours, as the strictest secrecy is observed.

The "Daily Chronicle's" Amsterdam correspondent says the "Taglicbe Rundschau,," in a desperate and alrrost threatening' article oiiv Berlin's vfoodless plight, says* the (scarcity is the olimax« of supply of for, weeks 'past' to' one. partC of the city, the x other failing • constantly ' vFish v is now one^of the, mpstMmportant' fiwjels^buir no/»s fresli--supplies * aro^^eyiai^s^j-s^A^' ihe price of pmoknd fi«*h i« six +i**-«»s .the jaormal* "Applies alone are obtain- 4