MOTHER COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1918, Page 5

MOTHER COUNTRY.

HELPING RUSSIA. JAPANESE INTERVENTION. London, March 15. In the House of Commons, Mr. Balfour agid Japan would intervene as a friend in order to preserve Russia against Germany. If Japan promised to respect Russia's integrity she would keep her promise as she had always kept her promises to us. We desired to see Russia intact and free, in order that the revolution might bear fruits.

He was. optimistic regarding Russia's future, but Russia was .out of the war. The revolutionists wanted to lonstituto an army for national defence, and would doubtless welcome our assistance, but could thfey improvise a new instrument f He repudiated the suggestion that Japan's intervention was intended to dismember Russia- Japan would be Russia's friend against Germany. He did not telieve Germany intended to send a powerful force to Vladivostock, but German penetration would be absolutely disastrous for Russia and injurious to the Allies. He believed the Bolsheviks wished "to resist penetration, but he feared It was too late. He feared Germany would find an opportunity to use her favorite device of dividing Russia against herself, by urging the democracy to supplant the autocracy and vice versa and by fostering disorder until her intervention would be sought from sheer weariness.. Then a new autocracy would arise in Russia worse than the old, because based on a foreign power. Russia was powerless to resist thisShe needed our help and sympathy, and we wished to give them, net to increase her troubles. The Allies should do all in their power to bring Russia through the crisis-

.EFFORTS TO PREVENT WAR,

VISCOUNT GREY'S WORK PRAISED. BY GERMAN AMBASSADOR. Received ifarcli IC, 5.5 p.m. ,

Stockholm, March 15.

The Politiken publishes the remarkable private and secret memorandum issued by Prince Lichnowsky (German Ambassador in London 1912-14), in which he testifies to Viscount Grey's good faith and constant efforts at reconciliation. . Viscount Grey's aim was to reach an understanding with Germany, but Wilhelmstrasse throughout those a. strict Triple Alliance policy

THE SHIPPING PROBLEM. JATB OF THE WAR DEPENDS ON THE MEN. tOSSES TO BE DISCLOSED. deceived March 16, 5.5 p.m. London, March 15. In the House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law replying to the debate on mercantile Aipbuilding, says the essence of the matter was the men who were actually making the shipß. They must realise that the fate of the war lay with them. The Allies were being consulted. He hoped Sir Eric Geddes (First Lord of the Admiralty) would, on Wednesday, be Sible state the actual tonnage losses. The figures would astonish everyone. Personally, he thought nothing but good couM come from the disclosure. Shmtmfldtag was not being retarded for lack of men who were being brought back lrom Prance where necessary.