THE WAR

Levin Daily Chronicle, 31 March 1917, Page 3

THE WAR

4 — OReceived This Day 8.50 a.m.) THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR. London, March 30. •Prince von Bethmann-Hollweg, refer, ring to Russia, said that a time-honor-ed friendship ended with the death of Czar Alexander 111. The Emperor (Nicholas rifted into the Entente's wake and into iPanslavistic currents, and finally because a partisan of the War Party and declined to listen (in July, '191'4) to the Kaiser's appeal. When in 190,3 the Japanese War and the ensuing revolution reduced Russia to dire stress, the Kaiser urged the Czar to no longer oppose the nation's wishes for reforms, but Nicholas preferred other roads. Had Russia concentrated upon internal reconstruction she would have avoided the restless policy of expansion •leading to war. Prince TTollweg char, acterized as lies and slander the reports that Germany desired to abolish . Russia's hardly won freedom and that the Kaiser would like to re-establish a state of Czardom over enslaved subjects. The method of reconstruction of. internal affairs was purely the business of the Russians themselves; Germany need not meddle therewith, she only hoped that conditions in Russia would develop in such a way as to make her a strong, firm bulwark of peace. Bethmann-Hollweg asserted* that China's rupture of relations was the result of on'.side pressure; he was confident that Germany's old friendship with China would revive after the war, when Germany would recover her trade in East Asia. He said that warm thanks were due to Von Hindeniburg and Ludendorff for what they had accomplished on the west front, and boasted of the success of submarrinism. He concluded by referring to internal questions, and declared that speeches in the Reichstag had not con vinced him of the possibility by a reform of the Prussian franchise; it was a most serious matter to decide suob a question while millions of men were in t-li# trenches. (Received This Dayi 10.5 a.m.) WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE.

London, March 30. Thirty women, representing all trade* and professional occupations, waited as a deputation on the Rt. Hon. I). CLloyc 'George, who explained that the Government intended- to leave the question of womn's vote an open question in the House of Commons, 'but a bill would be intraduced to embody the speaker's proposal for a majority of the Govern, ment should support the inclusion of women's suffrage. The 'House of Commons would decide whether the age Would be thirty or thirty-five. Once women were on the register he had no doubt men would be satisfied to give 'them the vote on the same terms as themselves.

TURKISH ROUT. . London, March 30. The newspapers are giving prominenc to an account of the rout of 20,00( Turks in Palestine. They describe tin new crusade as likely to result in i drving of the 'Turks out of Palestim during the summer. General Murray is buiding a railway as lie advances along the sea coast. A fleet to pro tect the Amiy's flanks already is a( hand. The Turkish positions on the Beer Sheba railway are untenable. The newspapers suggest that Great Britair 13 likely to hold this i\fty-mile-wide highway into Egypt after the war, and allow the Jews to return to Palestine. OFFICIAL ATTITUDE RESENTED. New York, March 30. Austen Hoey, whose mother and sister were drowned on the Laconia, has foresworn American citizenship and joined the British Army, ibecause he demanded that President Wilson avenge Hoey's relatives' murder but received no reply to his cablegram. (R'eceived This Day 11 a.m.) COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE IN GREAT BRITAIN. London, March 30. The House of Commons, in committee, discussed the Military Service Bill. The 'Government declnedi to exempt all agricultural workers, but the .Hon. A. Bonar Law said that as food production at least was as important as getting soldiers, agriculture wouldi receive special consideration. Several memibrs strongly denounced the re-examin-ing of discharged men, especially those incapacitatd on active service. Mr McKenna and Mr Churchill disputed the Government's figures as to the probable results of re-examination, andl considered that the Government was over optimistic. The Hon. Mr MacPherson promised to .bring down .complete estimates. HOLLWEG'S SPEECH. Amsterdam, March 30. Conservative newspaipers coldly approve Prince Bethmann-Hollweg's speech. Other sections are dissatisfied especially complaining of the absence of electoral reforms.