GENERAL CABLES.

Taihape Daily Times, 24 May 1918, Page 5

GENERAL CABLES.

NAMELESS HEROES. SUBMIT TO EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION. FOR THE GOOD OF SOLDIERS. Received 8.45 a.m. LONDON, May 23. A number of old Londoners, former war veterans, who were unable to serve and were anxious to help their country, submitted to the infection of trench fever in a hospital at Hampstead in order to ascertain the origin of the disease. It is definitely established the disease is caused by exegia lice bites. All the patients survived. It is believed the experiment will lead to the discovery of the germ whereby infection of the soldiers’ blood is eliminated and death prevented. NEW ZEALAND RED CROSS. TROUBLE OVER COMMISSIONER. i LONDON, May 22. Difficulty still exists regarding the control Of the New Zealand Red Cross Fund. The Red Cross Committee is agreeable to Mr. R. H. Rhodes, the New Zealand Red Cross Commissioner, becoming first chairman but opposed a resolution demanding the right to elect his successor. WHY THE KAISER WENT TO WAR BRITISH AN UNMILITARY NATION CARED TOO MUCH FOR LUXURY TO FIGHT. Received 11.30 a.m. NEW YORK, May 23. Mr. Thayer, a leading historian, in a letter to the New York Times, discloses authentic information that Lichnowsky, when leaving England, told Admiral Hood. “The Kaiser asked mo to ascertain whether Britain would participate in the war. I replied that it was unlikely Britain will go to war on any account, because she has ceased to be a martial nation, and cared only for money and luxury. She could not prepare a useful force in less than a year and had a civil war impending in Ireland. The British were so unmilitary that they allowed the suffragettes to intimidate them. I have no doubt this report influenced the Kaiser to declare war. I know what my fate is likely to be.” EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS WITH GERMANY. HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS OUTWEIGHED. Received 11.20 a.m. LONDON, May 23. The Daily Express state that despite the Franco-German agreement for exchange of 350,000 prisoners, the British authorities doubt the advisability of exchanging men capable of further military service, which would tend to prolong the war. It is definitely known that German reserves are becoming exhausted, and the 1920 class of recruits are in the field, whereas the Allies can rely on American resources. Though file release of British prisoners is desirable oii humanitarian grounds, other considerations outweigh these. Retaliatory measures against German officer prisoners will continue until the authorities are satisfied that British soldiers are properly treated. Within a few days a detailed report will be issued of the unspeakable cruelty that British prisoners are subjected to, particularly "In the Tenth German Army district, by General von Hanisch and his subordinates, the brothers Niemeyer. Von Hanisch’s inhumanity includes forced labour in coal and salt mines; the men rarely see daylight and areslarved and constantly Assaulted. It is rumoured that negotiations will shortly be opened at The Hague between the Germans and British regarding the exchange ,of prisoners.

| THE PACIFIC. I IMPORTANT SPHERE OF BRITISH INFLUENCE LONDON, May 22. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, addressing -the Edinburgh and Leith Chambers of Commerce and Edinburgh Merchants’ Company on “The Pacific as an Important Sphere of British Influence,” deplored the past statesmanship which had lost us Samoa and New Guinea, indicating the necessity of obtaining and acting on overseas’ opinions On such matters. New Zealand had arranged that after the war there would be an embargo on German goods. Suggestions from overseas at the Imperial Conference before the war for effect I!' mCt With littlo res P 0 at tie hands of the Imperial Government . . war show ” urgenev f„ r givmg the overseas dominions ' some and share in the responsibility. «;<= Empire, and should have reprosen--4 Dominions were shareholders in tahon 011 thc board of directors

NUMEROUS PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM GERMAN PRISON CAMPS. Received 11.20 a.m. AMSTERDAM, May. 23. Owing to, the fine weather nui-rerous escapes of prisoners have recently taken place. They are mostly French and occasionally Australian, as the British camp is further from the frontier. Most of the escapees have been working on farms, and disappear info the forests. Their chief difficulty is in crossing rivers, which are swift and cold, and which they~musl swim, as the bridges are carefully guarded. Escapees narrate that the German country folk no longer exercise vigilance over escaping prisoners, though earlier in the war they would have attempted to lynch them; there is now no longer any hatred against prisoners. THE WHITE PLAGUE’S VICTIMSLONDON, May 22. It was stated at the Inter-Allied Conference to deal with the after-care of disabled soldiers, that 20,000 had been invalided out of the British Army during the war period, Suffering from tuberculosis. There were also SO,OOO invalided from the French Army for the same reason. GERMAN WORKERS’ DEMANDS AMSTERDAM, May 22. Workers’ delegates, representing all parts of Germany, held a conference at Bremen and discussed war aims They telegraphed the Kaiser and Count von Hertling demanding safety of frontiers, indemnities, territory for settlement, and freedom of the seas. ILL-TREATMENT OF PRISONERS CONTINUES. j LONDON, May 22. ' Official reports of the German recent ill-treatment of prisoners which will shortly be issued will show that abuses which were prevalent in the earlier stages of the war are still unmitigated. GERMANY IN TRUE COLOURS. LONDON, May 23. At the Mansion House luncheon, celebrating Italy’s entry into the war, Lord Robert Cecil said a complete change had come over the German peoples since their superficial victories. Nothing was now heard of the Reichstag’s renunciatory, resolution. German professors were again teaching the blood and iron gospel. The promised democratic refernis' in Prussia were forgotten. It was the Entente’s duty to increase efforts to discard political preoccupation. Lord Cecil, alluding to the Austrian Empire, said the people subjected to Austrian rule must enjoy freedom and independence, which were their right. We must not look to courts and cabinets for future settlement, but to the nation’s peoples.