DEGOUTTE SPEAKS OUT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 27, 1 February 1923, Page 7

DEGOUTTE SPEAKS OUT

"GERMANY'S FUTURE IN OUR HANDS."

LONDON, 30th January.

According to a Cologne telegram, General Degoutte issued a statement to foreign journalists that when the French arrived in the Ruhr it was not intended to carry out any military or political purposes. The French wanted to disturb the people's normal life as little as possible, but the German Government had tried every means to provoke a general rebellion, which only the wisdom of the German workers had prevented. The French Army was not like the Prussian. "We are not murderer's, anxious to put everyone to the sword, or to treat the people as Bismarck did. Moderation, however, is not weakness. They ars mistaken who think our patience is without limit. We have tried to carry out our mission peaceably. The German political leaders are entirely responsible for the present misfortunes of the Ruhr. "The Allied Governments will continue in the way they have taken. They mean to impose their will, and to break their adversaries. We do not want to enslave the German workers; we only want to coerce the German magnates who received indemnities from the Government, but have not paid taxes. We intend.to stay here as long as necessary, and will impose further sanctions until we achieve our task, from which nothing will divert us. Germany's future lies in our hands." i