MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1917, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

FRENCH POLITICS

fAUSTRALIAN it N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

! PARIS, Oct. 5. I M. Malvy, in the Chamber of Deputies refuted M. Leon Daudet’s accusation contained in a letter to M. Poincare, alleging that M. Malvy sold plans of the Cliemin des Dnme s offen-

sive to a German living in Spain

M. Painleve stated that unless M. Daudot produced proofs severe steps would bo taken against him.

CANADA'S AID.

OTTAWA, October 5.

A conference has opened at which Lords Reddring, Hardman, Lever Northelift'e and representatives of the Canadian Government are present. The object of the conference is to arrange for Canada extending larger credits to Britain and France for war purchases, also the regulation for the sterling exchange and tho development of Canadian shipbuilding in view of the submarine menace. It is understood that expansion in the shipbuilding in Canada and tho United States is contemplated.

GENERAL SMUTS’ VIEWS

LONDON, Oct 6

General Smuts, speaking at a luncheon tendered to him by the Presidents of the Chambers of Commerce reviewed the war situation. Me said: The Germans were already beaten and their rulers know it. The Germans bad challenged tho world on military grounds and bad calculated on certain success. They had made the greatest mistake in history. This -war was far more than a military war, and its decision would depend upon political economy and other non-military factors. Our military predominance on the Western Front was «,> longer in question.

Referring to Russia, General Smuts said that he was not sure that from the point of view of a far-sighted policy the Germans’ attack on Russia was not the most fatal of Gorman blunders. B'he was striking a nation who like herself was an Autocracy, but who had received a new vscocin—??o who had received a now consciousness from the terrible suffering arising out of the war. Russia was like a woman labouring in childbirth and Germany vas choosing this moment to strike her down and the spirit of history would never forgive her.

“Liberty which is being painfully born in Russia,” ho continued, “will arise and vindicate her in the coming generations and become the most implacable enemy of the future Germany.

“The Central Powers are everywhere beaten and are retiring everywhere hut in Russia. Add to this the fact that the Central Powers are exhausted and demoralised internally and faced with the spectre of bankruptcy, and we see that the end is no longer uncertain. The Germans’ hopes of tho submarine’s power have now ceased to be a decisive factor. Take that from me as a bedrock fact.”

General Smuts predicted that Germany’s aerial warfare -would not only fail hut would prove si terrible boomerang t-o tho enemy. Wo were dealing with an enemy whose culture had not carried him beyond the rudiments of the Mosaic law and be can only apply tlie maxim : “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Consequently wo are most reluctantly compelled to retaliate. There is no' longer any choice in the matter. We shall endeavour to avoid the German abominations, the innocent and defenceless in our air offensive, but it is inevitable that they will suffer to some extent.