GERMANY AND FRANCE

Evening Star, Issue 17765, 13 September 1921, Page 4

GERMANY AND FRANCE

. THE RHINE OCCUPATION.. POINCARE'S PERSISTENCE. Press Association—By Tc Icgraph—Copyright. PARIS, September 12. Ex-President Poincare, whoso many ! articles in tho newspapers show the deepest distrust of Germany and insist on tho security of France, demands the strictest application of tho penalties provided for m the Peace Treaty for any default by Germany. _ , i M. Poincare contributes to Le .temps , a lengthy article revelling eecrcfr negotiations at tiie Peace Conference between hi. Oiemenccau. Mr Lloyd George, and exPresident Wilson recording the military occupation of the Rhine Provinces. 11Poincare as President, with the aid oi Ciemonceau and Marshal Foot), used mo utmost influence to secure the insertion in tho Peace Treaty of a clause enabling the Allies to occupy tho Rhine Provinces until Germany had carried out all the Treaty’s conditions, including full payment of reparations, whidh would take a minimum of thirty years. Mr Lloyd George and Dr Wilson refused to extend tho period for the occupation of tho Rhine beyona fifteen years : alter Mr Lloyd George Dr Wilson had signed an agreement by 1 which Great Britain and _ America undertook to send Franco military aid if she were attacked without provocation by Germany. Thia agreement, winch was dependent on ratification by the British and American Parliaments, became a dead letter by tho American Senate’s refusal to ratify the Treaty. hi. Poincare’s article in ‘Le Temps suggests that Franco should now demand now guarantees in regard to Germany’s fulfilment of the Treaty, as the terms under which Franco agreed that the occupation of the Rhine should ho reduced to fifteen -'ca’s had been broken.—A. and N.Z. Gable.