AUSTRO-GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1918, Page 6

AUSTRO-GERMANY.

SEEIOUS CONDITIONS IN AUSTRIA. ■London, July 15. The Berne correspondent of the Daily News States that the relations between Germany act! Austria are strained. The disaster on the Piave has exhausted Germany's patience, while Austria is putting on pressure to secure an offer of peace propositions which have a chance of consideration l>y the Allies. Details of the Piave defeat are leaking out, despite the censorship. Excluding slightly wounded, there were 200,000 casualties, of whom 10,000 were drowned, also 40,000 deserters fled eastward. .The economic situation in AustriaHungary is intolerable. There are spasmodic strikes daily, and the bread is often almost uneatable. The authorities are relying on the harvest to save the situation, but, owing to frosts, it will be mediocre. The authorities have difficulty in dealing with armed deserters. Thousands of well-equipped men are in the mountain districts. The police have arrested 3000 armed deserters in Budapest. The correspondent states that the daily ration in Austria is 3oz of bread, an ounce of meat, a quarter of an ounce of fat, 2Joz potatoes, Joz jam, i/joz of coffee.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. MEAT SHORTAGE IN GERMANY. Amsterdam, July 13. It is expected that the meatless week monthly will save 300,000 head of cattle and increase the daily supply of milk by 750,000 kilos. The limitation is absolutely necessary, owing to the shortage of swine and the necessity of killing cattle, which are undersized owing to the shortage of foddor.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Association.