RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

SEPARATE PEACE QUESTION. 'ANGLO-FRENCH DECLARATION., ADVISING INDIGNANT REFUSAL. Deceived. Sept. 27, 7.30 p.m. . Petrograd, Sept. 2G. At a plenary sitting of the Soviet's Central Committee, the announcement was made that the Government had received from England and France a categorical declaration that any German attempt to conclude a separate peace on Russia's account should, be indignantly refused, and that England and F rancc consider the idea should not bo given even passing consideration. THE KORNILOFF FIASCO. PRINCE LVOFF'S WIRE-PULLING. Petrograd, Sept. 2G. M. Savinoff, ex-War Minister, writing in the Bourse Gazette, explains that the Korniloff re.'olt was due to a :nisunderstanding. After M. SavinofY had obtained M. Kerensky's consent to General Korniloff's proposed reforms Prince jLvoJT informed General Korniloff that M. Kerensky was willing to form a directorate, of which Kerensky, Korniloff and Savinoff would be the principal members. General Korniloli' agree:] .whereupon Prince LvofT handed' M. Kerensky an ultimatum written by himself, but pin-porting to come from General Korniloff, demanding for Rorniloff a dictatorship. Ignorant of Prince Lvoff's ultimatum, Oieneral Korniloff replied to M. Kerensky's telegraphed in qniry that ho subscribed to Lvoff's words written on his (Korniloff's' behalf. Thereupon Korniloff was relieved of his command and revolted. M. Kerensky has returned from headquarters,

I CROWN JEWELS MISSING. REPLACED 'BY IMITATIONS. EX-CZARINA INVOLVED. United Service. Received. Sept. 27, 10 p.m. Paris, Sept. 27. Le Journal forecasts the possibility of the ex-Czarina being accused of theft. Some of the most valuable Crown jewels have disappeared. The theft was discovered recently when a rich American offered to buy two pearls, worth" £25,000 apiece, which she had seen worn by the Czarina at Cowes regatta some years ago. The Russian Government instituted inquiries. The palace and museum safes were opened in the presence of experts, when the best jewels of the Imperial crown were found to have been replaced l;y imitations. Later it was discovered that the stones had been sent by special messenger to the Czariiia's German residence at Darmstadt. It has been further discovered that valuable tapestries in the palace have been replaced by copies, and that the original have been sent abroad. RUSSIA EE-CLIMBING THE SLOPE. Paris, Sept. 26. M. Kerensky, wiien interviewed for the Figaro, declared that Russia was beginning to re-climb the slope and would reach the top. lie emphasised the fact that over half the forces of tlio Central Powers are on the Russian front. Russia has to bear a tremendous pressure, but will never make'a separate peace. SiUKIIOMLINOFF'S SENTENCE. Reuter Service. Received Sept. 27, 5.5 p.m. PetrogTad, Sep; 20. Sukhomlinoff was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to hard labor fo' life. His wife was acquitted. GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF FINLAND. Reuter Service. Received Sept. 27. 5.5 p.m. Petrograd, Sept. 27. M. Notarassof, a former vice-president of the Council, has been appointed Gov-ernor-General of Finland, in .succession to M. Stak nvich, who has resigned.

SECOND DIVISION LEAGUE. DOMINION CONFERENCE GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS REQITOE RECONSIDERATION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Sept. ?7. A conference of the Second Division League opened in Wellington to--iay. Mr. R. A. Armstrong, national president, said that in regard to the proposals published to-day the Government had | undoubtedly met the League in sont respects, but not all. The Government- ; must be asked to reconsider some of the ! proposals, which were quite inadequate He moved: "That this conference of the National Federation of New Zealand Second Division Leagues, while express ■ ing its appreciation of the fact thut the introduction of the- War Pensions Bi'J :iy the Government has placed the jvague :i the position of knowing exactly what, ;i'.e Government proposals are, wouid re-

swctively but earnestly request the Prime Minister to delay the eomnittee | stages of the Bill until at least this evening's sitting of tile House, so that the conference may have the opportunity fully to examine the proposals and make such representations to the Government as may be found necessary before the most important stage of the Bill is reached." The motion was seconded by Mr. C. Dash (Waimate) and carried lyTwo of the vice-presidents were instructed at to present the resolution to the Primo Minister. Referring ' to the pensions proposals, the president maintained that no woman could live on 30s a week and that, in these days of high prices, a child could not be fed and clothed for 7s fid per week. The allowances for a wife had been raised to 3s, a fair increase, but the league asked for fis. j The league suggested that the child's allowaneo be Is Gd, but the Gover.imeiU proposed to raise it from Bd to lb. ! The president characterised the majority of the replies of the Minister of

'Defence to questions in the House regarding the calling up of the men of the Second Division as distinctly unsatisfactory.

AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION. ALLOWANCES FOR WIDOWS 'AND CHILDREN. Wellington, Lagt Night. Tho Second Division Leagiie conference was addressed by Messrs Wilford, Forbes and Outline, M.'sP,, the Pensions Bill. ° The conference resolved to recommend each league <o accept as an amendment to the constitution, the following new clause, under the heading of objects (C): To set up in each centre such organisation, and take such steps as may be found necessary to conserve the interests of all soldiers who are away on active service, and to act in an advisory capacity to and assist all soldiers and their dependents in relation to the Securing of pensions and allowances payable. A further recommendation was made to all leagues to immediately take steps 'to give effect to'the foregoing. It was decided, that the age limit of children should be seventeen years in the case of males, and twenty years in the case of females. The pay and pensions committee recommended that tiie minimum pensions in the ease of death should be £2 2s for a wife without a child, £2 12s for a wife with a child, or in the; case of children, 10s Od for each child. The conference adjourned till to-mor-row.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS. THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BOARD. THE WIPE'S POSITION. SOLDIERS' INSURANCE. Wellington, Last Night. During the dinner adjournment, a deputation representing the Seeond Division League interviewed Ministers, and secured promises that several points would be further considered. Sir .Tames Allen said that the rate of is fid' weekly for a child would be further considered. The first-named men would go into camp in February, and would leave New Zealand in .Tune. "I do not know what you think about it," added Sir James Allen, "but I have a firm conviction that we shall know .by June next who is going to win this war. E have a firm hope that we shall never have to send from New Zealand more than the first class of the Second Division. Sir Joseph Ward emphasised the need for. remembering the financial aspects of the question. We could not get away from the imperative necessity of maintaining sound finance. Certain points raised by the Second Division League in connection with the schedules of the Bill would be considered by the Cabinet. He did not think that the Government, was called upon to supplement Imperial pensions in the cases of men who had loft New Zealand in order to join the Im perial Forces. Provision was being made in the Bill for men who had enlisted in New Zealand for Imperial units, and for British reservists who lmd been called to the colors while resident in New Zealand. He was considering the question of allowing motor-boat patrol men to come under the operation of the financial assistance scheme.

"I do not think that members realise how much is done for, the soldier by means of the Financial Assistance Board," said the Minister. "The board has made grants already to the amount flf somethinff like £60,000 a year. Kent Is bein? paid in many cases. The board Roes on the principle of allowing for the wife receiving a fair allotment from licr husband's pay, and then making up the wife's income by way of grants for rent, insurance and other things within the limits of the maximum allowance (now per week) to an amount cqnivalent to what she had before her husband went away, after deducting the cost of his maintenance. I think that the soldiers will find in the Financial Assistance Board a very ready means of help With regard to insurance, the board will pay the whole of the premium on policies taken out before the war. In the ease of policies taken out during the war the board is paying premiums in some 9ases. A soldier who enlists now may take out an insurance up to a limited amount. The limit is about £3OO.