FRENCH AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1920, Page 5

FRENCH AFFAIRS.

PRACTICAL BRITISH HELP. By Telegraph.—Press Assn Copyright. London, Dee. 27. The Duke of Portland, interviewed, said the best way for Britain and France to show mutual affection lay in the practical* sphere. This was' what he tried to do in forwarding to the; warscarred districts of France a small part of what tliey hacljost. The Agricultural Committee hail already raised £7-5,000, with which cattle were purchased for farmers on tl(c old battle front. The British fund fffr the restoration of Rheims Cathedral would soon reach £IOO,OOO. SPREAD GF BOLSHEVISM. Paris, Dec. 2fi. „ The Radval element cracked the whip of mastery over the opening session of the Socialist Congress at Tours and made it clear that that body will favor adhesion to the Third Communist International at Moscow. It is indicated that even the Bolshevik creed of 21 points will be acceptable to a large majority. This is surprising, .as the delegates of French country districts, who are usually more conservative, declared in favor of Bolshevik principles. This is believed to he a protest against Allied attacks on the Soviet. ARMY ESTIMATES. Paris, Dec. 20. During thi> debate in the Chamber on foreign policy the ex-War Minister, M. Lefevre, explained that his resignation was mainly due to the Finance' Ministry's demands for cutting down the armv estimates, with which he did not agree. He asserted that Germany wns trvinjj to reconstitute her armaments, as was shown by tin fact that she still possessed tens of thousands of machineguns, millions of rifles, and a number of field guns. Germany was also concealing 1100 gun breeches in a secret depot, whilst not a single model had ,been discovm-cd of the two latest ma-chine-guns, one of which was caphle of firing 1500 shots a minute, anti-aircraft guns and another intended to be used for firing on trenches from aircraft. M. Lefevre asked for the maintenance of the military forces which were indispensable if the harric. ile between Germany and Bolshevism was to be kept up.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.