AUSTRO-GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1917, Page 5

AUSTRO-GERMANY.

WILL THE KAISER ABDICATE. MOBS OJjCSORY PROMISES. London, -Jnlr 13. The Berliner Tageblatt states that Hobday's Cromn Council lasted three ham. The Kaiser, who presided, ssked til present to give their opinions on Prussian suffrage reforms. Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg advocatoi immediate reform. Hi» speech created a deep impression and. after the council, the Kaiser and Ministers remained at Herr von Bethicann-Hoilweg'» palace till after midnight. A Berne message expresses astonishmeet at tho activity of the Crown Prince, who successively received the leaders of all the parties in the Reichstag except the Minority Socialists and diicnsicd the situation. This is the more remarkable as the Kaiser has hitherto jealously excluded the Crown Prince from all politics. There are some ruHtn of the Kaiser's pending abdication. Amsterdam, July 13.

Telegrams from Berlin leave it still doubtful whether Herr von BethmsnnHftttweg hee been dismissed. The majority of the Reichstajt do not object to Hot von Bethmann-Holhrejr remaining 5 a if their claims we fully satisfied. Thus far the Chancellor has only capitakted ob the subject o." the suffrage. The Kaiser has issued a rescript pro«i»w;ng Prussian electoral reforms, to the consternation of Pan-Cerman Conservatives, who believed the Crown Prince's Modi would mult in an aggressive PanGermam Conservative being Installed in ttic Chancellorship. It is now evident that tho Kaiser and Crown Prince have ten fanad to surrender to popular ■finish. There an many protests in the newats the effect that tho political reforms must not be considered as the malt of Mr. Uoyd George's recent ■peeebefe. The majority fa the Jleieh«tac brought pressure to bear on the OOTanaaat threatening to refuse to p. the war eredita for 750 millions PfiKi the reforms were granted. '< The !Eai*er lias made an important hm to the democratic agitation fcr ordering that an Equal Franchise BUI |h«ll be sufcmitted to the Prussian DM in ample time so that the next . may bo held in accordance wKh the new fra&ehise, thus modifying the MrioM decision that reforms should inly operate after the war. BOULWBG HAS RESIGNED. Eeceived July 15, 65 p.m. New York, July It Herr von Betbnami-HoUweg has re•tgned.

yroiAW OOMMANDKR RELIEVED.

Received July 16,153 j»jn. Peril, July 14.

it Marcel Hutin. writing in L'Echo I* Paris, states tint Field-Marshal von ißoderitarg and General Lodendorff have jrebeved General Vouennolle, the Austrian commander.

WHAT THE GERMANS CLAIM.

Beeeinsd July IS, 5.15 pan. London, Jniy 14.

A wireless German official report ttntes: The artillery duel is Intense at ieveral of the sectors in Fhndera and Artois. We repulsed thrusts eastward Kieupcrt and south-east of \pr«s. Mar HSaeh, and southward of the flu, mm Artillery action is intense on the rat bank of the Mease. Ourstormtn recaptured the trenches on Hill 304. We. load eight and the enemy lost nineteen Mrcphuieg. vUMjag activity is lively near Smor•en. alio at Sohtchara, westward of tluSt Futile Russian attacks were at several places. On the Lomnica Un Arehdnka Joseph and General Macj nynlaed several advances.