OUR ENEMIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2663, 7 January 1916, Page 7

OUR ENEMIES

CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL EUROPE HOW THE GERMAN PEOPLE ARE FARING INTERVIEW WITH HUNCARIAN .PREMIER. The following notes are taken from English newspapers recently to hand: The stress of the high prices and Bcarcity in certain necessaries have led, according to the Berlin Press, to a movement'for the-organisation of the "housewives," as representing the bulk of the consumers- in the German Empire. The headquarters of the movement ara at Hamburg, and branches, already aggregating over 20,000 members, are to be. found in most of the chief towns. The aims ' are thus described:—

. The individual housewife has found herself in this time of war without aid and without advice.in face of the problem how to cope with' her 'household requirements with oft-diminished income and an immense increase of prioes. . . It is the object of the organisation, binding together the various local associations, to represent tho economic interests of the housewives as consumers and at the same time to offer . them an opportunity of extending their knowledge of household management. The latter is the more necessary, as to most women the connections between their own larder and national economy are not clear, and as they are r.ot sufficiently conversant with the hygienic demands of rational nutrition end with chemical properties of various articles of food. For this reason they Are not able to replace ■ with success, br inland produce, foreign articles ' Well are scarce owing to the closing of" ithe frontiers. ; *

Y/ar Time "Shifts." . We also read a description of the activity of the recently-formed central 'Berlin organisation, which has a permanent exhibition of "household shifts Hi war time," and a permanent office where housewives can obtain information and advice. There are further lectures and demonstrations held on the subject of food and its . preparation, and a sort of bureau to act as intermediary between the producing and distributing agencies. Above all, this central Berlin organisation is trying; to obtain control over the movement of prices by keeping in contaot with the municipal and other authorities dealing with foodstuffs and prices, and obtaining representation' oil these public bodies. ■ What Soldiers Say, . An interesting article is contributed \ orwarts" by an obviously well-informed correspondent on what he terms "depots talk"—the talk of the soldiers behind the lines where the imagination is stimulated, by the proximity of the battlefields, and is yet free to fly wherever it .likes. This talk, the writer says, consists in the perpetual rise and circulation, of the wildest rumours of-all sorts among the soldiers. These_ rumours deal-with great German victories or defeats, new diplomatic complications, and so on. As lar back as the middle of August ,the tale was circulated among the troops in Northern Poland that Bulgaria and Rumania had declared war' on Russia. At another place, on the Eastern front it was asserted in the first days of September that o, great battle —a victory for Germany—had. been fought in Trance, and that no lower than 35,000 French had been captured. As against, this, the Russians wore said to have, during the last offensive at Tarnopol, captured an entire army corps—nay,' according to'' another version, an eiitime _• Austrian army. Then, in the imagination of the soldiers in tho East, a .Russian diplomat suddenly turned up in Berlin, supplied with the • widest plenary powers, ill order to negotiate for peace. The correspondent proceeds to discuss the psychology of this activity of the soldiers' imagination, pointing out that "those whose temperament is lively and hopbful, and who in their longing after peace always see it,in the near distance," are mast subject to tli'e temptation to accept and to discuss rumours.

Hungarian Premier's Views. An interesting-interview of Mi-. Carl von Wiegand, of the '/New York iWorld," with Count Tisza, the Hungarian Premier, is quoted in tho' "Lokal Anzeiger." Tlie following are its most important passages:— _ "The decision on peace or continuation of tho war lies in the hands of our enemies. For the Central Powers this war has been from tho first a defensive war. We never entertained nor do we now entertain any aggressive plans. Ave only think of guarantees for our future security, which we have,the right to attain. ... It is our opponents wno, as assailants, have first to announce when they want peace." Serbia, Asked what would he the fate of Serbia if.the Central Powers.now win the'campaign in the Balkans, Count l'isza, without wishing to be a prbphet, intimated that "Serbia would probably be weakened and. reduced in size" and "deprived of the possibility of beiii" a war danger to tho Dual Monarchy." Then, on being referred to the viow obtaining m America, that England will ultimately compel tho CentraL Powers to submit to her will by economic pressure, Count Tisza said ',"1 think this calculation, liko so many others, will prove a disappointment. It is true that wo shall not be m a position to carry tile war into England s own territory by means of an invasion, but we can ■ administer a death-blow to several of her Allies. Tho termination of the Serbian campaign will release considerable troops for employment elsewhere. ... Once the road to Constantinople lias become free u*e shall have the possibility to bit at-Eng-land's most vital points." Then, speaking of the relations between Hungary and Great Britain, he said:— "I am sincerely sorry that Hungary and England have departed ' so widely from one another. There is in Hungary no direct enmity towards England oxcept that generated by the war itself, but I may say that I can fully understand'the German sentiment towards England. It was a disastrous for England to have v spread tho view that this war was one of liberty against militarism."

Jealousy of Germany. In Count Tisza's opinion the war, on England]® side, was caused by her commercial jealousy of Germany, snd that-, as a matter of fact, tlie war is one of "naval despotism" against tho freedom of t.lie seas. In tlio course of his further remarks' Count Tisza. observed ; that those in England who are working for the overthrow of Sir Edward orev ,were.working for a war "to tlie knife," and that wbile it is" not likely that Rumania will join tho Allies at tho present juncture, "wo do not veckon on her fighting on tho side of the Central Powers." Lastly, referring to tho ntt.apks - of tlie British Press against • British diplomacy for its failure in tho Balkans, Count Tisza declared that in faco of Austro-German military successes tlie greatest diplomatic genius woulr have proved powerless: lij\i rear Conrad von Hoetzendorff,

our Chief of the General Staff, asked me what results our diplomacy was hoping to achiove m tho Balkans, and I replied: "If you beat the Hussians wo shall bo the most succcssful diplomatists but if tho Russians beat you, we shall be asses." ' Socialists and Peace. Referring to tho peace rumours and their denial by the German Government, the "Vorwa-rts" permits itself to observo: , For twelve months we have been hearing what is not truo. Can it ho taken amiss if we for once should express tho desire to hoar what is true, what is regarded by tho German Government as the object of the war? After all, it cannot go on eternally that battle should he fought out after battle, that armies should bo brought t-gainst one another at over new'fronts without tho people knowing what has to be done and achieved in order that the bells of peaco should at last be rung. The ordinary objection to this is that it is for the others to sue for peace, since we aro the rioters. But those others, unfortunately, are not conscious of being the vanquished, and iso the war is dragging on bccauso both parties are, afraid to state their terms of peace, lest it should be interpreted as a sign of weakness. This language is significant, and still moro significant is the fact that it has been allowed by the Censorship to appear in print. Germany's War Funds. A letter received in London early in November from a'neutral says:—"Germany is done for if she does not reach Constantinople within a rionth. I spoke recently with a bank director who knows the conditions in Germany, and he gave an awful description. "Tho last German war loan, which was called a success, was .'imply a compulsory imposition. With the police badge in their hands the- Government's representatives forced the people not only to deliver their account books but they registered everything, even to their sticks and umbrellas, f.hd decided the loan contribution accordingly. They proceeded in this way r.ot only with rich people," but even with people with only a small, fortune, as 2000 to 3000 marks. Some with an annual income of 1500—2000 marks wore registered to pay 2000 to 3000 marks."