AMERICAN PREPARATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1917, Page 2

AMERICAN PREPARATIONS

German Intrigues.

New York, March 14

A significant step is the formation of a War Council to direot the country’s jactivitisa in case of war, Mr Daniel Willard (President of the Balti-more-Ohio Railway) ia to be Master of Transportation, and Mr Samuel Gompera (President of the TJ.S. Federation of Labor) Director of

Labor, Will there be war ? 11 Well-informed opinion regards it es certain. In a sigaed article published to-day Mr Gilbert, editor-in-chief of the New York Tribune, states . War is inevitable, and the United States is slowly drifting into it. Germany is expediting the conflict.” The navy yard has guns and ammunition arsembled, awaiting the President’s word to arm merchantmen It will take from thres to five days to equip each ship, It has been decided to instal 6ia. guns bow and stern, and it is believed that a great .fleet of armed vessels will tail for the‘war zone wivhin teh days. It is probable that a mosquito fleet will ba sent to the danger zone to patrol.

Millions of dollars have been sent to the Carraoz \ Government in Mexico recently by Germans in the United States, It was learned on high Government authority on Friday that some of these millions were»in the form of personal loans to Mexico. Other millions went into the purchase of smelter plants wherever available in Carranza's Republic. The money was ssnt ia spite of a warning by the United States Government that such loans would not have its support unless all tbs details of the trrangements between the lending parties and Carranza met with the approval of the authorities at Washington. yThis was one of the countless developments which began to come to light to-day, following upon the. discovery by President Wilson and Mr Lansing of the carefully-planned plot to unite Mexico and Japan with the German Imperial Government in war ou America. The United States is ready to make other equally startling disclosures in proper time. .

A message from El Paso, Texas, states that “ the Iron Cross,” a German secret society, has over 1,000 members working in Mexico to foment an invasion of the United States. It has 75 branches and cauecd the fire at the Tampico oil wells. German Consuls and agents are sheltering with Villa, and are plotting to bring about a new raid. There are also many German officers in Carranza’s army, German doctors are attending “ Pancho ’ Viila, near ParraL One of the chief fears, however, is the cutting of the Tampico supplies by the Mexicans, in-t.gated by the Germans.

French Criticism

PARIS, March 15. Tlie Chamber discussed the aviation question in secret, and then publicly considered various resolutions, including one of confidence in the Government to secure the closest co-ordina-tion of the various air , services and to intensify all forms of aerial warfare. Mr. Lyantey, Minister of War said it would be preferable to await the result of the measures taken before debating. and he refused to pursue the subject. Subsequently at a public sitting a resolution was carried and Mr. Lyautey resigned.

British Prisoners. LONDON, March 15. In tlio Commons the Hon. Hope said the British prisoners* in Germany would be in a serious position without parcels from Britain, and reprisals would only establish a policy for which the enemy is better adopted temperamentally and traditionally than ourselves. Ho believed the majority of the parcels reached their destination. The Germans’ Retreat. London, March 15 Renter’s correspondent at Amsterdam says that now that it is impossible to longer conceal the retreat on the Anore the German press, with one inspired accord, has begun to publish explanations intended to reasgure the population, which has been disquieted for weeks past by rumors of evacuation.

The newspapers now declare that they knew all about it on February 20, hence they are delighted to observe “the enemy’s astonishment.” The Frankfurter Zaitung concludes its assurances with the remark: “The thing is that Hicdenburg has a hand in the game, and everything is going exactly as he wishes.” Finally, a long Bemi official siatament supplementing a meagre account in a communique says that the positions whioa had been shot to pieces, had bßan evacuated according to a plan unnoticed by tha enemy, without losses; while heroic rearguards inflicted heavy losses immediately on the more numerous British force?. The statement concludes : The Germans have left a horrible bottomless marsh, where the villages are heaps of ruins, wells filled up, and roads non-exis'ent. Here the British are exposed to the inclemencies of the weather aud the fire of the German batteries trained on every point. Therefore all the trouble of the British has been in vain, tor they can only consolidate ground and bring up artillery at a cost of heavy sacrifices from the German?, secure in strong positions, where they await new attack;, auweakened and unshaken.” Mr Beech Thomas (Daily Mail) 'who fcaa just returned from the front, says that the Germans are retiring because they are afraid of losing men as well as positions. They are exhibiting every device of the hunted creature, moving only at night. Now that the moon is shining the enemy is retiring more slowly, using more guns to delay the pursuit. From the observing aeroplanes the German troops are invisible, lying low in the trenches and dng-outa, and waiting for night-time to continue their retreat. They are destroying everying, even souvenir’s, and finally bolting from the positions at top speed.

The flight from Gomm9coart was yery fast, the covering machine-gun-ners aad snipers making splendid time to the strong defences drawn bow - string like behind the arc of the salient.

The enemy is now halted in a pivotal swinging eastward from Transloy, but (he extremely bad condition of his tranches, and the fact that there are no signs.of the usual thorough German defences, suggest that the halt is only temporary.