AMERICAN ULTIMATUM PROBABLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1917, Page 5

AMERICAN ULTIMATUM PROBABLE.

PRESIDENT STRIVING TO AVERT WAR. y WILL GERMANY BACK DOWN? Received Feb. 2, 5.5 p.m. New York, Feb. 1. From a mass of reports and rumors ei'/erges the fact that President Wilso-, hus had repeated conferences with Mr. Lansing. Both have declined to make, any statement, though it is believed thai a course of action lias been decided on. This will probably take the I'olm of a Note, tantamount to an ultimatum to Germany. The Evening Post's Washington correspondent says that President Wilson lias decided that Germany's unrestricted Submarining shall not go into effect if there is a moral possibility that the physical power of the United States can prevent it, but President Wilson is striving hard to prevent the Uniled States flum participating in the war. " Stocks on Wall Street dropped from five to ten points. The day's turnover was two million shares. It is regarded a:, the worst day since the outbreak of the war. Newspapers in the Middle West, South and New England States support the 'defiant altitude of the New York pre 39 an never before. Some demand tha» passports be given to Count BernstoriT, while others state that a breach is inevitable. unless Germany backs down. The interned liners at Hoboken numj ber seventeen, including the Vaterlarid. SHIPPING SUSPENDED. • Received Feb. 3, 12.50 a.m, . Christ-iania, Feb. 2. Mails and good traffic to England have been suspended. Received Feb. 3, 12.50 a.m. London, Feb. 3. The Gothenburg shipping firms are not permitting any departures, and; have recalled those ships that have sailed. Received Feb. 3, 12.50 a.m. Copenhagen, Fe"b..-'2. A shipping company, carrying agricultural produce to England, has stopped all its ships. The Danish Government is considering the Note, and will do its utmost in the endeavor to continue exports. Shortage pf coal will be the main problem. HOLLAND PROHIBITS SAILINGS. London, Feb. 2. Latest reports from Holland show that the Government lias prohibited all Bailings for the present. GERMAN BROKERS SCORE. t New York, Feb. 1. There was great excitement on the Stock Market and the wildest scenes since the beginning of the war. Cotton was demoralised and March contracts dropped 25 dollars per bale, and subsequently broke 500 points, the greatest break in the history of the United States, Steel sold below par. Railway and steamship stocks suffered severely, butrallied from 2 to 10 points. Customers of a prominent German Chicago brokerage firm have been sellin" short for the past ten days, apparently with the cerfainty of something happening. They have made tremendous profits. New York, Feb. 1. Mr. Taft declares that Germany's action is a grossly unwarranted expansion of the rights of blockade and greatly emphasises the necessity for hastening adequate preparedness against unjust aggression. The Arizona Legislature unanimously passed a resolution of confidence in President Wilson in whatever course lie decides to take. AUSTRALIA. ENLISTMENTS AND CASUALTIES. Sydney, Feb. 2. Spealdng at a recruiting meeting Senator Grant said that the enlistments in 1918, including December. 1015, were 134,280, and the .net casualties to date, excluding men returned to the front, were 04,908. ITALY ENTENTE'S OBJECTIVES PROCLAIMED. Rome, Feb. I. The supreme command lias issued a. manifesto to the soldiers, setting outthe Entente's ' objectives, recalling the enemies' crimes and declaring that the Entente will not make any save a rte» torious peace. Italy trusts her soldiers will deliver the Trcntino, Trieste, Istria and Dalmatia. RUSSIA. 1..05T TRENCHES REGAINED. ENEMY ATTACKS FRUSTRATED. London, Feb. 1. A Russian official message sayst— Despite asphyxiating gas and frost we ■ cleared the enemy from the Kalneem high road and re-oecupied our lost trenches. We frustrated three attacks east-ward of Jacobeni and took over 1000 prison crs. Our warships sank five boats near the Anatolian coast. ' GERMAN TROOP'S SENT TO WEST ; FRONt'. | Received Feb. 2, 5.50 p.m. I Retrograd, Feb. 1. Except in the Riga sector, 'where I three divisions of German reinforcements ' have arrived, the enemy is transferring considerable troops frotn the Russian ' fronts to the Western front. A BLIZZARD FAVORS RUSSIANS. Petrograd, iW I'. A tremendous blizzard has raged foi days in Polesie and snow has hidden the ! defences. Russian irregulars, accustom- ' cd to severe weather, have undertaken ' numerous successful raids, penetrating ! to the enemy's rear. They recently > found a number of Anstrians frozen to 1 death. Their comrades immediately surrraJcriiA,