GENERAL CABLES.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 September 1918, Page 5

GENERAL CABLES.

TIDE FINALLY TURNED.

GERMAN ARMY BEATEN

LONDON September 13

General Smuts, speaking at Newcastle said he was convinced that recent events in the war, were not ordinary ups and downs but meant that the tide had finally turned. If the war lasted another year our air effort would make Germany shudder. When the end came the Dominions must be consulted regarding' the- colonies They would never consent to restoration to Germany until cancer of militarism was removed. Germany was now showing signs of weakness and her armies were being beaten.

AFTER THE WAR TRADE. BUILDING UP BRITAIN’S CREDIT. Received 8.55 a.m, LONDON, Sept 15. Sir Edmund Holden, addressing the shareholders of the Midland Bank, stated £300,000,000 sterling was required after the war to finance the, re-; construction of industries, purchase raw materials, and the expansion of trade. Powerful amalgamated- banks were more than ever needed to meet the new requirements and maintain London as the world's centre of finance. Germany was extensively amalgamating banks as a preparation for a financial war. The British build up their credit, and more large-

ly import gold, whereof the world’s production was declining.

colonial editors visit the ERONT. ALL THEATRES VISITED. Received 10.10 a.m. LONDON, September 15 The Australian and New Zealand editors, interviewed by many English newspapers, speak in glowing terms of the Allied effort on the "West front.

The Australians, after visiting the Australian battlefields in the vicinity of Peronne, joined the New Zealanders and spent several days with their troops in the region of Bapaume, and also went' to Ypres, Arras, and Vimy.

The editors were received by General HeKg and visited Poizcres, Albert, the Marne, and Yesle and witnessed the shelling of Mcssines and Kemmel from Vimy Ridge. They saw | the British guns punishing the German support lines after the evacuation of Lens. The Now Zealanders were fortunate in arriving at positions at .Havrineourt from which the New Zealanders the same day had driven out the Germans. They saw' the wounded receiving first dressings. The many German dead presented a gruesome sight. The party traversed a distance ‘of 150 miles, and appreciated the opportunities of meeting Generals Monash, Lawrence, Rawlinson, Horne and Russell and w'ere received by ( M. Poincare and M. Clcmenceau. The editors w r erc greatly impressed with the spirit of the Allied troops, and learned the | full facts regarding the doings of their owm divisions. They returned with high hopes for the future, following the splendid British, french and American offensive. They regard the present situation as extremely ' satisfactory.

WEST AFRICAN EXPOSURES. . GERMANY INDIGNANT. Received 10.10 a.m. AMSTERDAM, Sept 15. The "Cologne Gazette” publishes an indignant article on the exposure of German West Africa atrocities, and says: “Hypocritical Albion thereby attempts to conceal her predatory instincts behind a moral fig leaf of paper. It reiterates the return of the German colonies constitutes the fixed aim of the German people.

GERMANY’S PEACE TERMS. TO HOLD ALL EASTERN GAINS. RETURN OF COLONIES TO GERMANY. FREEDOM OF THE SEAS. DEMANDED. AMSTERDAM 'September 13. Speaking at Stuttgart, the ViceChancellor, von Payer, outlined the German peace terms. He declared Germany could not hand over Poland again to Russia, nor assist in placing Finland again under the Russian yoke Germany could not allow States on the German frontier and on the Baltic to be again subjected, against their will to Russian Czarism or thrown into civil war and anarchy. Germany would not submit to the Entente her peace treaties with the Ukraine, Russia and Roumania.

Apart from this, terroritoral possessions existing before the war could everywhere be restored.

A preliminary condition for Germany and her allies was the restoration of all territory they possessed on the 10th of August, 1914.

Germany must, therefore firstly, receive back her colonies, concerning which the idea of exchange on grounds of expediency need not bo excluded. The Germans, as soon as peace is concluded, could evacuate occupied regions, and they could restore Belgium. If Germany and her allies occupied possessed what belonged to them, and if Germany was sure that in Belgium no other State would be-more favourably placed “than she then Belgium could be restored without- encumbrance and without reserve. -i *.

Germany was deeply, convinced that, as she was the innocent and the attacked party she was entitled to indemnification but prosecution of the war to that point would cost her such heavy sacrifices, irreplaceable by money, that she preferred, on calm reflection, and despite her favourable military situation, to abandon this idea quite apart from the fact that forcibly urging compensation would inevitably jeopardise future peace

Von Payer declared further that Germany was ready to arbitrate regarding a league of nations, arbitration and disarmament.

Germany Remanded freedom of the seas and of sea routes, also an open door in all oversea . possessions, and protection of private property at sea.

Von Payer concluded: —We laugh at the idea that we should penitently ask for mercy ere we are admitted to peace negotiations. We laugh at fools who babble of revenge. Peace by understanding will bring nothing humiliat-

ing for us, nor a period of misery and. wretchedness. It w r ould be an illusion to calculate on a will to peace in those circles among our enemies which, are responsible for the opening and continuing of hostilities. They cannot admit to their countrymen that their aims are unattainable, their sacrifices vain. But others among those peoples will think differently. Moreover, those others will prevail sooner or later; until then there remains for us nothing but to defend our lives.