RELATIONS OVER RUHR

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 57, 8 March 1923, Page 7

RELATIONS OVER RUHR

DANGER OF DRIFTING TO WAR

LABOUR MOTION IN HOUSE OF

COMMONS.

<iraiTßs> PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPTRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN - MEW ZEALANP CABIB ASSOCIATION.) (Received Bth March, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 7th March. In the. House of Commons, Mr. Ramsay Macdonald moved the following motion :— . / That this House, 'believing that the peoples of Em-ope wish to maintain peace and pursue a policy which will secure it, agrees to invite, m the first instance, the French and Belgian Clumbers each to appoint a Committee, representing all parties, in order to r.xclumge information and views with a similar Committee of this House regarding the occupation of the Ruhr in relation to the security for reparations. Mr. Macdonald said that,, until there was a change in public opinion in all countries, Governmental interference would be of .little value. Tn"e relations between ourselves and France were drifting. France was rewriting the Versailles Treaty in her own,interests without consulting her Allies. Events were happening which were the first chapter _ in a scries which might result in war, if not properly handled. We should give a moral lead to Europe. Instead of mastering events, we were being mastered by events. LEAGUE THE ONE SOLUTION. 'Lord Eobert Cecil (Conservative) considered the- proposal rather insufficient for dealing with so grave a situation. How could such a Committee proceed ■without negotiation and without inter--fering with negotiations between Governments? An appeal to popular opinion over the heads of the Government would embitter feeling and consolidate the French people- behind the Government. If they were to solve the problem, they had to tackle security as well j as reparations, and the onij body whici* could do that was the League of Nations. We should aim at securing bj means of a conference the temporary international working of the Ruhr. . Mr. H. A. Fisher said he did not believo the Committee would produce any valuable practical result. A hand snoold be -stretched to Germany, when it was clear that she was meeting her obligations. The question should be submitted to the League of Nations, and the aid of the United States should be invoked. It should be made plain to France that we regarded the problem as one for international settlement. INTERVENTION NO USE YET. The Prime Minister, Mr. Bonar Law, in replying, said that everyone disliked the situation in the Ruhr. There was no doubt that the French had not gained anything by the occupation j indeed, there had been very heavy losses, and what the end would be he did not venture to prophesy. But the loss was not all on one side. Germany's jugular vein had been cut, and that must be ruinous to Germany, which would be less able to pay reparations than ever. It was no use ior the Government to attempt to do auything, unless public opinion was behind them. , „,._, .' ;-,,, ..... ... ...,,, The Government did not believe that intervention at this moment would be of the least use. It would be regarded its ho.stil to France. Having once entered on such an adventure, it would Ije difficult for France to find a. way out. ,At the moment the Government had noticing to propose. If the'line advocated in. many speeches were adopted, we should have to be prepared to enforce our will upon France by. war. He did not belieee any serious Brench politicain contemplated a European bloc against us. The proposed Committee was too much like a Council of War. Moreover, it was undemocratic. The motion was talked out.