AUSTRO-GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1917, Page 5

AUSTRO-GERMANY.

CLOSING THE FRONTIER?. ; .. DUE ,TO LABOR TROUBLES. DRASTIC MEASURES ADOPTED. . MOVEMENT COLLAPSES. Received May S, 5.5 p.m. i ■ -Berne, May 4. -lie closing of the German frontiers !s partially explained by the refusal of , the; independent Socialist leaders not to interrupt work on May Day. The mili- ' tarj authorities informed them on the 88th that they would be arrested for ■ high treason and probably shot unless they gave the required pledge. The stalwarts collapsed, and the pledge was given. ' Thereupon the military, on the 29th, hrrested a thousand of the most unruiy of the local leaders at Berlin, Leipsig, Breslau, Mftdgeburg, Halle, Dresden, Stuttgart and Kiel, where May Day strikes were threatened by the rank ami !• file, the party being leaderless. They found placards on Monday staring them i in the face, warning them that the full penalties under martial law would be exacted on all strikers. The whole movement then collapsed, and the indepfhdeal Socialists went to work on Tuesday. ' ■' ... " ALTERING the constitution (SOCIALISTS' PROPOSALS REJECTED. 6ERIOUS l()OD RIOTS. Received May 6, 11.5 p.jn. Amsterdam, May 5. r Thel Reichstag Constitution Committee lias rejected the Socialists proposal that [the Kaiser should not have the. right to ' declare war, conclude peace, or make al-1 i * liances without the consent of the Fed-1 •,eral .Council and the Chancellor, who | 'should be liable to dismissal by the I Reichstag, but accepted the Conservative motion declaring more generally the ifchanoellor'g responsibility to the Kaiser • :'pnd the federal Council. < The Telegraaf reports grave food riots • ,frt Mainz. The troops Area on the rioteight being killed and five hundred ' fcrreßted. » BAVARIAN FOOD SITUATION SERIOUS. Received May.6, ll.w p.m. Zurich, May 6. TKe Bavarian Minister, Dr. Bretreich, fi a speech, admitted that the food sitution was very serious, and that the people most be prepared to live more and Snore on vegetables. The next few weeks (he stated, would decide the fate of Germany, . PEVBHE MARTIAL LAW IN BADEN. >. Received May 5, 5.5 p.m. - Berne, May 4. The whole of the Grand Duchy of Jfaden hag been proclaimed a war zone, : wider the severest martial law, owing •'. to the unrest of the workers. • , It is stated that all pigs in Germany bust be slaughtered in a few weeks, owing to the lack of fodder. CHUJAN RUPTURE*DENIED. fi&uter Service, i Received 6, 11.15 p.m. Amsterdam, May 6. . 'A Berlin telegram denies the GermanChilian rupture. 1 IMPORTANCE OF SECURING RUSSIAN WHEAT. Received May 6, 5.5 p.m. ' London, May 4. The newspapers in Germany point out the importance of endeavoring to secure Russia's wheat/ because their enemies will have a wheat monopoly after thje * W " , AN OFFICIAL REPORT. jf. '& N.Z. Cable Association & Router. Received May 5, 5.5 p.m. . London, May 4. German official: A fresh English at-, tempt .to break through between Aehieville and Qneant, with the ldtli and 17t!i Divisions, failed. Repeated attacks from - dawn until nipht broke down. The tnemy > only succeeded in entering Fresncy and small portions of the trenches near li-iil-lecourt, which remained in the anemj's jiands. We inflicted heavy losses and took a thousand prisoners. ■ The enemy had a?scmbloi'. a simng isavalry force southwards. The Arras | battle, continues. -Ri>v»r»l French attacks broke dorr r>i<r.oray ind Winterberg. The enemy ' Jont ten aeroplanes. ' ■ vthe lftiMlans unauocwsfuUv attaeksd of the Swsii VaUejj W'4- t. * . ■ •