THE WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12504, 17 December 1918, Page 3

THE WAR.

OVERNIGHT CABLES. ALLIED ADVANCE. COBLENZ ~BB.II>UEHEA.I) OCCUPIED. . WASFfLNOTON, December 14. American armies hare crossed the Rhine completing the occupation of Coblenz bridgehead. THE BELGIAN FRONT. LONDON, December 10. A Belgian communique states Our Rhine front extended yesterday from Oxse.nborg to W«scl bridges. FRENCH REPORTED AT WIESBADEN. . BERNE, December 15. German newspapers slate that a French regiment has occupied 'Wiesbaden. THE CONFERENCE. INDIAN DELEGATES ARRIVE. LONDON. December 10. Tire Indian delegates to the Peace Conference have arrived in London. CHINA’S ATTITUDE. HONOLULU, December 14. The Chinese delegate, ea route to tile Peace Conference, said that China joined the war unselfishly- She will ask for right and justice in the Far Bast, and will urge that Japan should return Tsing-Tau. He added:—“ We wish the open door for all the world, but whether Japan is entitled to a preferential foothold is a question that the Peace Conference must decide.” LEAGUE OF NATIONS. MR ROOSEVELT’S VIEW. NEW YORK, December 14Mr Roosevelt, in an article on the League of Nations, says that Germany and Turkey must not. be admitted to the league for many years- Some of Russia’s notions during , the past year make any international guarantee on her port worthless. The league should only include the present Allies and the United States, and-must explicitly re-, servo rights regarding territorial possessions, the control of immigration, citizenship and domestic problems generally. "Wo must be careful,” he continues, “ about) guaranteeing tq interfere on behalf of impotent, disorderly nations when they lie outside bur sphere of interest.” Mr Roosevelt further points out that it would bo absurd to include in the league, on equality, with tl ( io United States and Japan, such countries as China, Mexico, Hayti, Santo Domingo and many others in the same category. UKRAINE AND POLAND. CONFLICTING TERRITORIAL claims. . NEW YORK, December 14Tlie Washington correspondent of the “Now York Times” reports that the Ukrainian Congress carried a resolution requesting the Peace Conference to settle the conflicting territorial claims of Poland and Ukraine by plebiscite. CONDITION OF BERLIN. A CORRESPONDENT’S PICTURE. LONDON, December 10, The Berlin i correspondent of “ The Times ” states that the revolution, following the: sufferings, of the war, lias brought a frightful decline in'the moral sense of Berlin.' Licentious women’ are mixing with the returning troops. There is an extraordinarily widespread traffic in stolen goods mid corruption is general. Everyone is eager to hoard money and secure himself during the impending catastrophe. My stay in Germany has filled me with profound dismay at the weakness of the bonds, holding civilisation together. Everyone has firearms under lus, cloak. It is unsafe to venture in the streets at night. Many families have machineguns. Berlin resembles a city with two hostile armies, Liebknecht’s and Ebert’s. Despite Eisner’s warnin'gs, Munich demanded the establishment of a. revolutionary tribunal, the deposition of Ebert and full power for the Soviets. SPARTACUS PARTY. ITS PROGRAMME. AMSTERDAM, • December la. Berlin advices state that the Spartaon s Party’s programme includes disarmament of all no-proletariat forces, the formation of a workers’ militia and Red Guards, the abolition of all others and non-commissioned officers, the replacement of all authorities, under the former-regime by representatives of the Soviets, the abolition of all parliaments and councils and the election of a central council, which will elect and control the executive council, the cancellation of all public debts above a fixed amount of subscription, the expropriation of all landed estates, hanks, coal mines and large factories, and the confiscation of all fortunes above a fixed amount. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. ELECTION ON JANUARY S. LONDON, December 14. A United Press message from Berlin reporta that the National Assembly elections will be held on January 8. WESTERN PROVINCES. MAY BE OCCUPIED BY ALLIES’ NEW YORK, December 14. The Washington correspondent of the “ New York Times ” states that in well informed circles it is understood that Allied troops will occupy the western provinces of Russia when the Gorman forces evacuate them. The Russian populations of these territories have asked for protection against the Bolsheviks. MORE REVELATIONS. PRO-GERMAN ACTIVITIES. WASHINGTON, December 14. Captain Lester, of the Army Intelligence Service, testifying before the Senate committee investigating proGerman activities in the United States during the war, said that the German Government on July 10, 1914, informed Gorman employees in Berlin that the war soon would commence. These employees wore dispatched to all parts of the world to conduct German propaganda. Thirty-one reached the United States. WASHINGTON, December 14. ■ Captain Lester, continuing his evidence before the Senate Committee inSinto pro-Gennan activities in ica. said that German Lutheran pasters had been instructed from Germany to preach pro-German sermons throughout the United States. Some .pastors who joined the army were arrested for seditious utterances and now Were serving prison terms.

THE JUGO-SLAVB, AN APPEAL TO AMERICA. WASHINGTON, December 11. The Jngo-Slar Council of Zagrab Ims appealed to tho United States to prevent bloodshed in Dalmatia in consequence of Italian aggressiveness.