ATTITUDE TO GERMANY

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 173, 10 April 1923, Page 7

ATTITUDE TO GERMANY

OF BRITAIN AND FRANCE

RUDYARD KIPLING INTERVIEWED

ENGLISH TAXPAYERS’ HEAVY LOAD

Mr. Rudyard Kipling, in an interview at Toulon, said the mass of British opinion never understood why Germany, which had launched the war, should not pay for the damage. He added that Britain and France should never forget that "Germany united us and will keep us united. Trust her for that and only that.”

By Telegraph.—Press Association. —Copyright. (Rec. April 9, 8.45 p.m.) Paris, April 9.

The newspapers are giving prominence to an interview Mr. Rudyard Kipling gave journalists at Toulon on the subject of the British and French attitude towards Germany. Mr. Kipling said the great mass of British opinion never undersfood why Germany, which had prepared and launched tho war, should not pay for the damage. They had not tho lest confidence in any programme based on the idea of nursing Germany tenderly until she was restored to health and power, in the hope that she then would have a change of heart and pay some of her obligations. “We do not believe that Germany is disarmed or will be until she is subjected to control far more rigorous than, any imposed in’ the past,” Air Kipling continued. “We believe it would have been far better had England. side by side with France and Belgium, tried to obtain the maximum amount of reparations and the greatest security possible. The reason public opinion does not declare itself more clearly is that taxpayers are groaning under ■war debts and taxation on a crushing and fantastic scale. It is natural that politicians snould be excessively prudent and hesitate td ( take any step which would increase public expenditure. Germany understooa this and made clever use of it. Britain and France should consider each other with patience, and never forget (Kat Germany united us, and Germany will keep us united. Trust her for that and only that.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

AMERICAN CLAIMS ON GERMANY

HUGE SUM FOR WAR DAMAGES

(Rcc. April 9, 10.20 p.m.) Washington, April 8. The United States has informed Germany that claims by the American Government and nationals upon Germany arising from war damages have been tentatively fixed at 1,187,000,000 dollars. There are 12,319 claims already filed, and more are being prepared. Many of these represent loss of life and property in the sinking of the Lusitania. The United States is now Holding in se’zed enemy alien piopertv a sum virtually equal to the total claims, but it is doubtful whether more than a small part of the. former will be used to settle the claims, since the seized property belongs in greater part to private individuals.- -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

LOUCHEUR’S VISIT TO LONDON

NOT ENTRUSTED WITH ANY MISSION ,

London, April 8. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Paris correspondent says that M. Poincare, in an official communication to Belgium, states definitely that M. Loucheur was not entrusted with any kind of mission to London. Ho undertook tho journev on his own initiative and responsibility. M. Poincare emphasises that France’s reparations policy has not undergone recently the slightest modi-fication.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE ESSEN VICTIMS DAY OF MOURNING Berlin, April 8. Tuesday has been proclaimed a day of mourning for the Krupp victims. The church bells throughout Germany will toll for thirty minutes.* A special memorial session of the Reichstag will be held. Herr Ebert will preside.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

PLOT TO KILL FRENCH PREMIER Paris, April 8. A Mayenco dispatch states that two drunken' Moroccan soldiers, charged with killing a German, were shot yesterday in tho presence of the German authorities. A telegram from Metz says that the Saarbruck police discovered a plot to kill M. Poincare, and that a German had been ordered to proceed to Paris to carry it out. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

FRENCH SEIZURE OF MARKS

London, April 8The “Daily Chronicle’s” Ruhr correspondent says that French seizures of marks in tho last ten days aggregate 13,000 millions. The French have informed the Reichstag that they intend to keep 9500 millions. They have seized Hoechst. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT SURROUNDED

(Rec. April 9, 7.25 p.m.) Paris, April 9 The last seizure of marks included a big supply found in a private printing establishment at Mullheim, where

tho marks were being secretly printed in order to prevent confiscation of the money during transit from unoccupied Germany. French troops unexpectedly surrounded the printing works and seized 1900 million marks’ worth of finished notes, and eighty milliards of partly printed, and. also engraved plates. The notes will be credited to Germany on account of the money she owes for the maintenance of the army of occupation.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

SEIZURE MINIMISED BY GERMANY

(Rec. April 9, 7.25 p.m.) Berlin, April 9. The Government minimise the seizure, pointing out that the Ruhr requires seven thousand million new marks daily A German official statement continues: “These have got into the Ruhr clandestinely.. The French, however, are sometimes sufficiently cunning to discover the means by which this is accomplished. In this way these degenerate sons of a once chivalrous nation have before now discovered bundles of our notes concealed in women’s skirts and underclothing.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

COMMUNIST PAPER SUSPENDED

CALUMNIATING GERMAN GOVERNMENT

Berlin, April 8. The Communist organ, “Rote Fahne,” has been suspended for a fortnight for caluminating the Government, saying: “Cuno dances to the piping of the steel and iron industry, the banks, and Junkers,” also for saying that the Government’s Ruhr policy uas responsible equally with the French/for the Essen tragedy.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.