AMERICA.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 26 July 1917, Page 5

AMERICA.

AMERICA'S WAR APPROPRIATIONS. Received 91.0. WASHINGTON, July 25: Mr. Smoot, member of the Finance Committee, speaking in the Senate, estimated the war cost would approach twenty billion for the first year. At present ten billions were appropriated, exclusive of five billions asked from war revenue. ONE MILLION MEN FOR EUROPE Received 8.50. NEW YORK, July 25. The "World's" Washington correspondent says the new war Budget means that the authorities hope to send one million men abroad within the year, starting immediately. Two additional drafts of 500,000 each will be called up while the first contingents are leaving.

ANOTHER LOAN FOR THE ALLIES Received 8.50. S j|| WASHINGTON, July 25., It is believed America will shortly advance another loan of five billions to the Allies. GOETHALS' FAILURE. WASHINTON, July 24. General Goethals, head of the Emergency Fleet Corporation and Mr. Denman, chairman of the Shipping Board, have resigned. Admiral Capps, ex-chief constructor of the U.S Navy, succeeds Mr. Denman, and Mr. Edward N. Hurley, vice-chair-man of the Federal Trade Commission succeeds General Goethals. WILSON'S DRASTIC ACTION. WASHINGTON, July 24. President Wilson took drastic action in order to end the controversy between General Goethals and Mr. Denman and speed up the carrying out of the shipping programme. He accepted General Goethals resignation and requested Mr. Denman also to resign. He named Admiral Capps to replace Gen. Goethals, Mr.- Edward Hurley succeeding Mr. Jptenman. The resignation of Mr. J. B. White, Mr. Denman's friend, from the Shipping Board, was also accepted, Mr. Bainbridge Colby, a well known lawyer and one of Roosevelt's leading supporters, replacing him. POLITICS IN CHINA AND PERU. Received 8.50. NEW "YORK, July 25. Advices from SouTa America state that the cabinets of Chili and Peru have resigned, it is believedi owing to disagreements on the question of neutrality. BRITAIN'S WAR AIMS. A CLEAR PRONOUNCEMENT. LONDON, July 24. In the House of Commons, Lord Robert Cecil, replying to criticisms, strongly repudiated Dn Dillon's allegations that the Salonika force was demoralised. Dealing with broad peace principles, Lord Robert Cecil, said that'the first thing was that Britain must stand by her Allies. It would be France's right ±Oj say what she desired in regard to and Britain would ibaek her up. This equally applied to otht>r ['Allies, especially Serbia. Britain was .\psolutely pledged to restoration i and reparation.

BRITAIN'S WAR BILL. EIGHT MILLI®N PER DAY. NO LACK OF MONEY. LOInDON, July 24. Speaking in the House of Commons on the motion for a new war credit, Mr. Bonar Law said the daily increase of expenditure, apart from loans to the Allies, and allowing that subsequently they would be repaid, was £300,000. The Budget estimate would be largely exceeded, mainly owing to the advances to the Allies. The total votes of credit since the war were 5,292,000,000. Now that the country with the greatest resources in the world has thrown in its weight on our side, it was truer than ever that it would not be for want of money that would prevent us winning-. The Hon. McKenna said the present position was that our total expenditure was eight million daily and our revenue two million. If it continued it would mean the addition of forty pence to income tax, making over eight shillings altogether. That would cripple trade. The remedy was the curtailment of expenditure. Further Labour unrest was certain if prices continued to rise. The credit was adopted.

ON THE SEA.,

AN UNPROTECTED SEA ROUTE. Received 8.50. LONDON, July 25. The "Times"'" calls attention to the unprotected condition of \thte Aden main sea route to India and Australasia, which is practically beleagured by Turks on the landward side. For nearly two years a British force has been confined to a stronghold by weak enemy force ranging among the tribes of the Protectorate. The operations at Aden will not shed lustre on our arms' prestige. IN THE GRIP OF THE HUN. LONDON, July 16. One of Router's representatives in Holland has interviewed a Belgian lady who has succeeded in escaping through the electric frontier* wire in Holland. She gives a vivid picture of the terrible fate of the Belgian women in the occupied territory. She aserts that the treatment of women was worse than that of men. During the past yean 20,000 women have been thrown into prison on flimsy pretexts. Sometimes they were released after weeks and months without any explanation. Scarcely a fortnight elapses without some woman being shot, The Germans will not tolerate any communication with Belgian soldiers, censored or not, and only in case of death do old people hear of their son's fate.

It is still not generally known that the slave raids include young Belgian girls. Nearly a hundred Belgian women and children are interned at Holzenden, where they arc compelled to live in huts with Russian and Polish prostitutes. Illegitimate births are frequent. A prostitute has been appointed supervisor of the camp. At Oberbruck several hundred Belgian women refused to work on Zeppelin covers, but after having been starved for a few days they had no alternative but to Tesume.

The lady concluded by describing a scene which occurred at the gate of Hasselt prison last month. A young peasant woman, the mother of two children, asked the authorities to be allowed to see her husband. She was politely informed that she could not see him that day, but if she came next day she would see him. The woman, with high hopes that her husband was going to be released, arrived at the gate next day. She was immediately admitted Without further explanation the guard gave her a bundle of clothes. Her husband had been shot the previous night.