GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 280, 27 August 1915, Page 7

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

MUNITIONS. WORKERS VISIT CONTINENT. LONDON, August 25. Arrangements are proceeding to send weekly parties of British munition workers, to gain -personal! experience ">f the conditions of modern warfare, 'he authorites recognise the valuable result of the trips, and will endeavour to arrange that each area of workers shall be represented. SOUTH AFRICANS ARRIVE. LONDON, August 25. Munition workers from Johannesburg have arrived at Plymouth.

UNEMPLOYED IN GERMANY. ROTTERDAM, August 25. During the first nine months of the war German trade unions paid twenty million marks for the relief of unemployed members. CONTRABAND COTTON. RELIEF FOR PROWERS. WASHINGTON. August 25. As the result of declaring cotton contraband the Treasury has decided to lend thirty million dollars to enable Southern cotton growers to carry their stocks.

BRITISH COAL-. TROUBLES. A STRIKE AS PROTEST. AGAINST TARDY SETTLEMENT, 11 (Reed 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, August 25. A thousand Welsh miners are striking as a protest against tardy settlement. I The Coal Conciliation Board failed to agree the sitting ended abruptly. THE PEACE MOVEMENT. FINANCIAL STRINGENCY IN GERMANY. AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE ADVICE FROM LEADERS AMSTERDAM, August 25. The “Telegraaf” reports a secret conference in Berlin between writers, politicians and members' of the Cabinet, prior to the floating of the war loan

HeLerich explained that the loan would exhaust the national rseources and urged the necessity of an honourable peace. Count von Bethmann Hollwelg told the conference that the financial difficulties weee increasing, and urged the Reichstag to abandon their bellicose declarations and prepare for peace pro. osals accetabls to the Allies. Von Moltke supported the Chancellor, and declared that those who expected the complete defeat of Russia were being misled, and misunderstood the situation. Despite the attitude of the Chancellor the conference refused to accept a resolution for moderation in the Reichstag, whereupon Count von Bethmann HoMweg threatened to resign if the bellicose proposals were pressed upon the nation, as hp might ge held rpfr.nsifole for a'njy {disaster's might happen.

GERMANY’S RESPONSIBILITYHUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES. LONDON, August 25. The High Commissioner reports: Sir E. Grey, in replying to the German Chancellor’s speech, says th e refusal of conference by Germany aligned the death warrant of many hundreds of thousands, as the conference proposal was the only hope of peace.

A SCATHING REPLY. TO GERMAN LYING. LONDON, August 25. Sir E. Gray, in a letter to the press, replies to Herr von Hollwog’s speech. He says that Germany’s publication of the conversation between the Belgian Minister and the British Military Attache is intended to prove that Belgium was in a plot with us against Germany. The conversation referred only to the contingency of Belgium being attacked. No Anglo-Belgian agreement existed. Why does Von Hollweg mention informal conversation while ignoring that I emphatically told the Belgian Minister in 191-1 that we desired that Belgium’s neutrality should bo respected .and that we would not send troops into Belgium ns long as no other Power . violated it. It was more despicably mean than to attempr to justify the deliberate violation of neutrality which Germany guaranteed, by bringing against the innocent and inoffensive Belgian Government and people the totally false charge that they plotted against Germany. Von Hollwcg does not emphasise the chargin his latest speech. Is the charg' withdrawn? If so, will Germany make reparation for the cruel wrong done to Belgium.