AUSTRO-GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1918, Page 5

AUSTRO-GERMANY.

ARMED FORCE PREVAILS. BELGIUM A PAWJf.POE COLONIES. NO CONSIDERATION FOR ROUMANIA Received March 1, 8.30 p.m. Amsterdam, Fell. 23. In the Reichstag. Ilerr Schcidemann declared that ilio fruits of the German advance in Russia .showed that the beyt method (o gel. peace was not by negotiation-;, nor by Reichstag resolutions, nor l>v Papa! notes. b\;t an unbroken niivante by tlie German forces brought peace, iielgium must be licld as a pawn tgainst Britain's refusal to surrender the .German colonies. Not the slightest consideration would be shown to Itouj mania, from whom a hcavv indemnity must ibe exacted, together with an army of occupation until it was paid. THE KAISER REBUKED. Tlerr Schcidmann rebuked the kaiser for saying that the victory of German arms must first be recognised. Ho recalled previous recommendations made by all partie3 for somewhat more reserve in that quarter, and declared that the great mass of Socialists energetically repudiated the Kaiser's views. lierr Erzbcraer said that if Germany had ever deviated from last year's peace resolution it was only as a temporary political measure. THE GERMAN COLONIES. DR. SOLF'S REPLY TO CENERAL SMUTS. A VITAL QUESTION FOR GERMANY. Reuter Service. Received March 1, 0.50 p.m. Amsterdam, I eb. 2S. In flic Reichstag, referring to the resent speech >by General Smuts dealing with German colonies, Dr. Sol? (Minister for the Colonies) said that it constituted an official British statement. Germany has never allowed any doubt regarding the German Government's and the German people's unanimous demand to get the -olonies back. The colonial policy i i a vital question for Germany and not a luxury. General Smuts apparently desires to destroy Germany as a colonial power, just as Lloyd George wants to destroy lier as a continental power, and Sir Edward Carson n.-> an industrial Power. General Smuts no longer advances ' his former humanitarian plea for the consideration of the natives, but places in the forefront the slant Imperialistic standpoint that the security of the British Empire excludes the return of the colonies. (fleneral Smuts, lecturing before the Royal Geographical Society, described the East Africa campaign. It was clear, he said, that the Germans had decided to develop the country, not as an ordinary colony, but as a tropical possession for tilt, cultivation of row ujaterials. They systematically discouraged white colonisation. Harsh as the German system was he was not prepared to deny that it was perhaps the most scientific, and, in the long run, the most profitable form of exploiting tiie tremendous natural resources of the tropics. German colonial aims were entirely dominated bv I their far-reaching conception of world polities. Germany's ultimate object in Africa was the establishment of a great Central African Empire, including English, French, And Portuguese possessions. She was now claiming the return of the colonies in order to resume the march towards this objective She aimed Rt securing recruiting grounds and raising vast native armies and naval and submarine bases in the Atlantic and Tndinn Oceans, dominating both ocean routes and bringing Anglo-Americar. sea power to nought. The native armies would be useful in the next great war, whereto the German general staff were already ghing serious attention. The untrained levies of the Union of South Africa .vould go down "before these German, trained hordes, who a'so would bo t.ble to deal with North Africa asd Egypt," without the deflection of any, white ■troops from Germany. Tt would also mean a great army planted on the flank of Asfc, whose force could be felt throughout, the middle east, as far as Persia, and even further. The British Empire could not allow the militarisation of natives or naval and submarine liases employed for world power. Tlie conquered German colonies could only he- regarded ns guarantees for the future peace of the world. He was sure this opinion was shared by the vast hulk of the Dominions, who were largely responsible for the destruction of the German colonial empire, and the consequent prevention of the German military system spreading to the ends of the earth. Tliev should not be asked to eonsent to the restoration to militant Germanv of fresh footholds for militarism in the Southern Hemisphere, endangering the fntijj;e of their rising communities. They vVantcd a new Monroe doctrine for the south, for protection against European militarism.) POLITICAL CRISIS IN AUSTRIA. SERIOUS STRIKES IN GALICIA. Copenhagen, Feb. 28. Vienna messages state that the political crisis continues. The Austrian Government has delivered an ultimatum to the Socialists to pass the Budget within 4S hours or the session will be suspended and an Imperial decree utilised. There are many serious strikes in Galicij.. THE AUSTRO-GERMAN RIFT. New York, Feb. 28. The United Press correspondent at Petrograd reports that the Austrians refused to advance against the Russians in Volhynia. The Germans are also reported to be disturbing the Austrian commands.