PEOPLE DISILLUSIONED

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 19, 23 January 1924, Page 7

PEOPLE DISILLUSIONED

NO RUHR REPARATIONS

BLAME FALLS ON GOVERNMENT.

(UHIIED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPIEIOBI.)

(PUBLISHED IN IHB TIHES.)

(Received 23rd January, 11 a.m.)

LONDON, 22nd January.

The-Paris correspondent of "The Times" says that there is every reason to believe that the Bills -which the French Government is submitting, probably on Thursday, to deal with the financial crisis, will become law. Their passage through the Chamber and the Senate, however, will not be smooth. It )s realised that M. Poincare's foreign policy is unassailable. Therefore, the sudden development of the financial crisis, bringing internal policy to the forefront, is hailed by the opponents of the Government as a providential intervention, from which they hope to derive much profit. The-people of France, while ready to admit the necessity for the Government's proposals, and prepared to steel their | nerves to make the necessary sacrifices, naturally blame the Government for allowing the country to drift into the present dilemma. "* WHAT ELECTORS FACE They persuaded themselves that from the Ruhr occupation much profit would flow into the National Treasury; they are now told that the •'Government never contemplated obtaining reparations from the Ruhr, which was only seized as • a pledge of eventual payment. Thus the French elector is disillusioned, but in no way comforted. He is faced with aii immediate prospect of a 20 per cent, increase in all direct taxation. The determination of the Government to reject all measures involving public expenditure not balanced by corresponding taxation, is bound to be severely criticised. Protests are particularly vehement regarding the decision not to proceed with Bills for the revision of pensions and social insurance, already far advanced. The Government will also have to resist a flank attack by the full weight of the Socialists on the proposal to surrender the match monopoly, which it has held since 1899. '