The Taihape Daily Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th, 1916. PROSPECTS FOR PEACE.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 201, 28 September 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th, 1916. PROSPECTS FOR PEACE.

AND WAr&TABINO ADVCK34TB (With which is incorporated The Tal hape Post and Waimarino Newa.)

Very little reliance can be put upon any peace predictions, now so plentiful. That Germany has initiated a propaganda for enlisting some leadingneutral in a peace mission seems beyond doubt. Van Jagow visited the American Ambassador at Berlin, and subsequently two other Ministers also visited Mr Gerard, and we are told the latter has now postponed his projected visit to America. It is folly to guess at peace intentions from any such visIts or rumours; the only true evidences of peace are those that are being accumulated on the various fighting fronts. There is going to be no diplomatic peace, the peace that the world wants, and that the Allies will insist upon will come from the can-non-ball and the bayonet's point. The real indications of peace, and those only that are worth noticing, are sucn as we received from France, Greece Russia, Italy, and Roumania yesterday. In the latter country, the people are jubilating over their hitherto untried General completely thrashing the redoubtable Mackensen, and putting an end to the Hun menace in the Dobrudja. The crown of Greece now seems a very slippery thing indeed. Venizelos is now at the head of a huge revolutionary army; Constantine is

only king in name; he is no longer at the head of the greatest number of the Greek people, neither are any powerful military forces at his disposition. The Allies have made a aefinite move from Salonika, attacking the Bulgarians in force on a very wide front, and are rapidly driving them back. The Italians are adding victory to victory over the Austrians, and Russia is forcing a way over the Carpathians and driving the Germans back on Lemberg, besides scoring successes on the Stokhod near Kovel, where Hindenburg boasted that he would break the Russian offensive. What the movements in Holland and Denmark portend we are not allowed to know, bui there is always some valid reason for such comprehensive and costly military movements. Germany has been feverishly entrenching and fortifying right across Schleswig, although she can ill afford such works. The only con elusion to be drawn is that there are

signs that Denmark sees an opportunity to get a return of "her stolen territory. Holland is now practically on a war footing; her armies ready to repel invasion from any quarter, anu finally there is the great victory in France reported yesterday. The splendid capture of Combles has renio\i. the only serious menace in the centre of the great wedge that is most assuredly splitting in two the German defence and opening a road to its rear, enabling the destruction of all communications. No time was lost when the Combles menace was destroyed in passing on towards Bapaume, which is the immediate British objective. Les Boeufs was taken, and a mighty Hun fortress near Geuedecourt rapidly fell into B'ritish .hands, bringing our forces to within three miles only of their odjactive, Bapaume. That this town will fall is quite certain, and military authorities are wondering what the German command is doing to supply food and munitions to their forces still on the old front. Bapaume is a meeting of many ways, rail and road, and it is by these ways that German supplies have been concentrated there. The German Press is also expressing surprise that Britain is able to achieve these comparatively easy victories. ; German editors are demanding the suppression of the Censor; they claim a right to discuss the conduct of the war, and the right of the people to know how it is proceeding. The G-

man War Loan simply won't float; the commander-in-chief and all other generals have had their pay immensely decreased; Von Jagow has resigned the Foreign Secretaryship; it is all these things considered together taai will furnish the best' indications fo. it is patent to the least trained mill peace. The "New York Tribune" says tary eye that Germany is beaten, u

Allies are bleeding her white; they no longer have the smallest douDt abou. the outcome, although few expect peace before 1918; the evidences of Germany's defeat mount up daily. Colonel Repington asserts that the world will see, w.hen the curtain is lifted from Germany, a state of collapse and exhaustion that could no be imagined. On the other hand, the German Press is amazed at Britain's quickness in raising a citizen arnij and the continued influx of Dominion troops, pointing out that these are factors responsible for the terii forces on the Somme. The Press wa,;,.

Germany not to expect a speedy t mination, but 1 to prepare for still greater sacrifices to save the Fatherland. Viewing the whole position without prejudice, the saving or tne Father land from a German point of view is a hope that must be deferred.

WOOL PRICES AND PEACE

From the sensational announcement by cable, received yesterday, stating that there is a shortage of tw,o hundred million pounds of wool in America's needs, and predicting that unprecedented wool prices will be the result, it seems that the Ameican people are inclined to take the view iiu the war may continue till 1918. it i s probable this view has been reached from the fact that the Allies are mai. ing adequate arrangements for fooe, clothing and equipment to carry them well over 1918, and that therefore ven little wool from British Dominions will be available for the American trade. Americans are justified in their oj, ions by orders from belligerents; Russia has ordered a million pairs of boots, Britain has placed orders for huge supplies of munitions, "tanks," and other rolling stock, and loans are being arranged wherewith to pay. What is extremely important here is the strong indications that wool price., will be maintained at somewhere about this present level for the next three or four years. In fact, all NewZealand produce seems to be sin; ; the appreciative stage, and the Britie' Government will no doubt take measures to prevent such appreciations ;n terfering with the conduct and winning of the war. Cheese makers here seem to be endeavouring to extract the last penny or farthing from the British Government for what is needed by soldiers, and it has been said that meat growers have been doing likewise, but we know of no evidence,.,

jin support of the latter contention. Meat growers do rightly complain against middlemen being given meat that is not required for the Army, a« a penny or twopence less than Infer:; Argentine meat; they have not complained about what they receive for Army meat. The difference is cheesemakers were offered an exceedingly good price by the Government, whic. they refused to accept, and they stan out for a price that Britain considers a Avar-time extortion. In all probability cheese men will find it in their interests to co-operate with the British Government, for a change of ration in the Army might mean a slump In cheese that would amount to in some quarters. However, view from all points, and taking into consideration all opinions and predictions, high prices for our produce, particularly wool, will be the rule for a few years to come yet. The peace the Allies will insist upon, although dimly discernible, seems yet far off.

Prices of cereals throughout Russia have been officially fixed.

A barman is wanted at the Gretna Hotel; a married man is preferred.

An intelligent lad, to learn the printing and bookbinding, is advertised for by Mr W. J. Bashford, Taihape.

A committee of the French Chamber of Deputies passed a resolution that young men in factories without families should replace the fathers of big families now in the firing line.

The British Government is controlling the prices of all frozen meat. The bulk of the supply is going to the front. There is a small supply of Aus tralian meat available for the public.

Canada's war loan of £20,00,000 has been over-subscribed. by nearly £14,000,000. The banks subscribed £10,000,000, and the remainder came from private funds and in small amounts.

Some of the firemen on a troopship which has been refitting at Port Chalmers stipulated for a war bonus or £2 a month on their present wages of £ll 5/-. This was refused, and the men declined to sign on.

The Grand Sheref of Arabia, who is now in Mecca reports that the Turkish garrison of Taif, 60 miles south-east of Mecca, which surrendered last June comprised 50 officers and 1,800 men. Ten guns and large military stores were captured.

If any to-day have still an aversion to the Union Jack, just go for one year under the flag of ,Wilhelm, writes a formerly anti-British Boer farmer from the Transvaal, who emigrated to German South-West Africa ten years ago.

Dr Stuart Irwin, of Oakland, California, has returned to New York, says the "Sun," after five months in Germany investigating British prison camps, convinced that he was wrooriginally in advocating the German cause.

Great enthusiasm ytm aroused by series of visits wtoch the Empress of Russia paid to the Russian armies at the front. The Empress visited many field hospitals, and decorated personally, many officers and men. In several cases, the Empress drove within reach of the German artillery.

That splendid purebred Clydesdale horse, Young Clyde, is to be placed at the service of breeders this season, standing at Eaketapauma, A preliminary notice appears in another column, and further particulars will be added in the course of a few days. Young Clyde is owned by Mr T. Bradley, Ruanui, from whom all particulars may be obtained.

"A great story is going the round of the trenches about one of the Parliamentary visitors," writes a Gisborne soldier in France. "The visitor was fitted out in one of Lieut. Seddon's tunics, and of course the star on the uniform got the salute it was entitled to from all the men who were passed. The M.P. was hugely delighted, and insisted on shaking hands with all who saluted him, thinking he was being recognised by old supporters. He said to nearly all: 'I know your face, where have I seen you before?' and did quite a lot of electioneering in the trenches. Nevertheless he was a sport. At one place he was in the Huns opened a bombardment, and between shots he was out from under cover looking for | curios. Another member grew rather excited when shown three aeroplane photos of the sector he-had been over. He seized the hand of one of the officers, and shaking it vigorously, said: 'Man, to-day 1 have lived; yes, lived, lived, lived.' " That tickling, irritating cough can be promptly relieved by a few drops of "NAZOL" taken on lump sugar. Get "NAZOL" to-night. Sixty doses, 1/6. 4