KING NICHOLAS IN TROUBLE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12857, 23 December 1912, Page 5

KING NICHOLAS IN TROUBLE.

MONTENEGRINS DISSATISFIED WITH HIS GENERALSHIP.

Received 5-15. p.m. \ December 22

LONDON, December 21. The " Daily. Chronicle's " Cettinje Cori«spondent reports an agitation to dethrone King Nicholas because of the Montenegrins' want of success compared with Servian triumphs. To restore popularity, King Nicholas -assumed command at Scutari. During the tw,o months he was ml command the Turks were enabled to.improve their position, while the Montenegrins' army was reduced. The country generally is in -a deplorable condition.

It reported at Belgrade that King Karegorgevitch is considering united sway in Serbia and iMontenegro.

. LONDON, December 21. '• Newspapers give prominence to the dissentions among the Unionists in connection with food taxes.

/The "Liverpool Courier," a Conservative organ, states that the Unionist party is drifting to destruction. The "Yorkshire Post" deplores the abandonment of the Referendum, which, would have enabled many Liberals to voto for the Unionises, and enable the party to proceed with forms - commanding general assent. , The "Morning Post" strongly advocates food taxes. .

The other Unionist papers are ignoring the question, hoping thereby to heal tho dispute.

The "Times" continues to advocate tho abandonment of food taxes as under existing circumstances a reciprocal preference can well be established without them. *

The "Westminster Gazette" sums Tip the situation by saying that th© Birmingham party urges that food taxes should not be pressed.

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESS VIEWS. [

CAPETOWN, December 21. Tho "Argus" says that Mr. Bonar Law's speech was a, tactical error. * " It does not believe i any: Dominion will ceaso to ask for. duties h -on food, :fi>r British workers resent them.

The " Johannesburg Stai*," a Progressive organ, is imbued with the conviction that Mr. Bonar Law's proposal will lead to enormous mutual benefits. !

(Mr. Bonar Law, speaking at Ashtoii-under-Lyne, said if the Unionists were entrusted with power they did not in- j tend to impose food.taxes without first ■ convening a Colonial Conference to, eon? i. sidei* the whole, question of preferen- \ tial trade- ",. Tlie-;. question, of food, duties -,'.. would. pn|y, arise, after the deliberations }■ of. the-Conference. That was, why they objected! to ' submit .their,' proposals "60 a rfefei«ndum, In, .dealing with foc|d duties an essential condition should be that the burdens of the poorer classes , should not be increased. The ideal policy was free trade within the Empirfc. It was impossible to get it now with the Colonies, but a- thorough system of preference would ipnd ultimately %o end in that direction. They could have free trade with India to-morrow. The whole experience of the civilisedv world was hostile-to the British fiscal system. Our Colonies had abandoned it, and no serious politician in any country proposed to return thereto. The Unionist party promised to clearly define the proposed dutie^s before the general election. He hoped it wo^ld be unnecessary to impose more than a duty on wheat. If after a conference with the Colonies, duties .were regarded as unnecessary, they would neve re impose them.) i