GERMANY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144855, 6 December 1915, Page 3

GERMANY.

FOOD RIOTS IN BERLIN, SOLDIERS FIRE ON THE CROWD. ’ (Received Dec. 6, 8.55 a.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 5.. A Berne message reports that a demonstration of Berlin workers, in consequence of the scarcity of food, was broken by the military. _ The’ soldiers fired on the crowd, and it is estimated that two hundred were killed and hundreds wounded. FAMOUS STATUES AT INNSBRUCK TO BE MELTED DOWN. (Received Deo. 6, 8.55 a.m.) LONDON, Dec, 5. Tho bronze statues in the Franciscan Church at Innsbruck arc to bo used for cannon, including the fine statue of the English King Arthur. THE' INNSBRUCK STATUES. WELLINGTON, Dec. 6. Tho statement in tho cables to-day that tho bronze statues in the Franciscan Church at luusbruck are to be melted down for cannon is most significant. Twenty-four of these statues stand round the church guarding the magnificent tomb of ilaxmillan. ■ Each is so arranged that a torch can be inserted m the hand. Much above life size, they are superb specimens of the nandicraftmanship of the middle ages. They represent the supposed progenitors of the Hapsburg family, male and female, and go as far back as the semifnythioal.King Arthur of England, and Godfrey of Bouillon, King of Jerusalem. The church, with nearly the whole of its nave taken up by the tomb and these gigantic statues, is one of the most striking sights on the Continent. That the Royal house ‘of Austria should consent to the destruction of these cherished monuments of its family speaks volumes for the straits to which tho country must bo reduced, DEPRESSION IN AUSTRIA' AMONG 'ELDERLY RECRUITS. (Received Dec. 6, 8.65 a.m.) LONDON, Deo. 5. Reuter’s Zurich correspondent says that each successive levy in Austria js causing depression. Many make desperate efforts to avoid serving, especially the 44-50 class, who are leaving their homos next Monday. The great majority have previously been rejected as unfit, some four times.. Many produced medical certificates proving that service was likely to be dangerous, until the War Office notified doctors that they were not called on to express an opinion on military* fitness. There is much dissatisfaction in Austria, especially, in Bohemia and in the Italian border. districts, ■ because the Hungarians have not bean called up until much later. DISCUSSION OF PEACE. TO PLEASE SOCIALISTS. AMSTERDAM, Dec. 5. The Reichstag has allotted December 10 tor' the discussion of peace conditions. This is in response to the Socialists’ demands. LONDON, Deo. 5. A German wireless message says:— “The discussion on. peace is necessitated because nobody in Germany understands why the Entente, after Its diplomatic defeats in the Balkans, has not begun peace negotiations. The debate will probably disclose that our enemies are still blindly believing in tho starvation of Germany and other illusions. Our peace conditions will bo dictated by our successes along the whole lino, but our enemies will probably regard our proposals as a sign of our weakness and weariness.’’ The baily Telegraph, commenting on the Gorman wireless regarding peace, sees an indication that Germany feels that it any bargain is to be made on the strength of her successes over the whole line, it must- lie done before those successes begin to ho reversed.

AUSTRIAN SOCIALISTS. AN INTEREST] NG MANIFESTO. (Received Dec. 6, 9.40 a.m.) GENEV A, Deo. 5. .The Austrian Socialise Party has secretly distributed a maniiesio in the country stating that the truth is hidden- from Austria. It stales:—“VVe have not had liberty, and in Austria the regime has become terrible. Since the war there has been neither constitution nor justice. Executioners will ' have much work and the civilised world will shiver with horror when it knows what is being done in Austria.” The manifesto says;—“VVe can only speak of death penalties passed on citizens whoso only crime was the exchange of-social ideas. Herr Lnpger was nangod because ho published a book asking for peace. This is how tho Austrian Government; acts while it is pretending to fight barbarism. This is why we are asking internationalists to save us. We shall become slaves and bo compelled to be enthusiastic Czechs. Italian Slavs will hi? forced to make manifestations of patriotism and subscribe to loans. V\ o don’t want Austria victorious, wo want her defeat. Austria declared war on the pretest that she was delivering Poland, now she wants to subject her to a Hapsbnrg dictatorship. If a real Parliament existed Austria’s shameful ultimatum to Serbia would nevor have been sent. We will now begin to fight for a republic; we want , revolution, not war. _ fter tho war wd shall imitate the Trench evolution. Austria can only live by the ruin of tho' Hapsburgs.” Tho manifesto declares that the annexation of Belgian and French territory is a crime. It concludes: “Austria is suffering terribly by the war, and will be the first to be ruined by it.” THE PEACE DEBATE. DUE TO SOCIALIST QUARREL. (Received Doc. 6, 11.35 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, Deo. 5. Tho German Socialist peace interpellation is tho c income of a party quarrel. A minority want immediate peace on the principle of the renunciation of now territory, while tho majority consider the Chancellor cannot be forced to lay down such a principle, because it would be taken abroad as a sign of weakness. ~