RHINELAND

Evening Star, Issue 18255, 20 April 1923, Page 6

RHINELAND

FRENCH PRESSURE TELLS. WORKLESS GERMANS ROUSED. FIRED ON BY OWN POLIOS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, April 19. According to a Cologne message, the French Cornmander-iinvhief has posted a warning in Bochum that acts of sabotage will bo punished with hard labor for life. According to a Dusseklqrf telegram, 2.0C0 unemployed marched to tho Mnlheim Town Hall and asked for 70,000 marks in a lump sum per man. When refused they smashed windows with stones. The German police intervened, and several shots were fired on the demonstrators, one being killed and other injured. The demonstrators then appealed to the French authorities for aid and protection, —A. and N.Z. Cable. GERMAN ECONOMIES. UTTERLY UNSOUND POSITION. MARK AGAIN SLUMPS. LONDON, April 19. The ‘Daily Telegraph’s’ Berlin correspondent emphasises the anxiety of the Reichstag to extricate itself from the Ruhr impasse. He summarises Germany’s economic situation thug : The exports in January were 85 per cent, below those of January, 1922, and the imports were doubled. A curious feature was the importation of luxury articles—liqueurs, spirits, and cigarettes, as well as essential commodities. The Reich shank every month increased its note-printing output. In _ January it was increased from 35 milliards to 75 milliards daily. The March output was 125 milliards'daily. Foreign currencies belonging to the industrialists were rapidly diminishing, and tho Reichshank’s gold reserves were rapidly going abroad. The correspondent asks ; “ What bodes such a situation for Germany or the Allies?”—A. and N.Z. Cable. LONDON, April 18. The Berlin exchange rate has slumped from 98,000 to 135,000 marks to the £ sterling. BERLIN, April 19. There are conflicting opinions regarding the fall of the mark, which caused a panic on the Bourse. Financiers are asking whether it means the collapse of the Government stabilisation policy or the beginning of a new subtle move. Others allege that the fall is due to French influences. It is also pointed out that Germany’s huge foreign coal purchases must now' bo paid in foreign currency. The coal imports since the Ruhr crisis began have cost £3,000,000 to £4,000,000 per month, and they now threaten to reach £6.000,000.—A. and N.Z. Cable. EEICHSBANK’S METHODS. BERLIN, April 19. Received April 20, at 10.30 a.m. The exchange’s sudden break in London is not easy to explain. At one time the exchange rate reached 150,000 marks to the £, but later recovered to 135,000. The Eeichsbank returns show continued expansion of the note circulation. _ Ihc bank in consequence of this lias a gigantic task to maintain the exchange by means of gold placed with foreign banks.—A. and N.Z. Cable. BRITISH LABOR. ANOTHER INVIiriGATION TOUR. INTERVENTION RECOMMENDED TO PREVENT UPHEAVAL. LONDON, April 19. (Received April 20, at 9.35 a.m.) Messrs Adamson, Shaw, Buxton, and General Sir Owen Thomas, Labor members of the House of Commons, after a visit to the Ruhr, have reported to the Parliamentary Labor Partv that tho situation cannot bo dealt with by any machinery under tho Versailles Treaty. An appeal should immediately be made to the 1 reach and German Governments _to submit reparations proposals to an international tribunal. Britain should take the initiative by a frank definite statement of policy and spare no effort to maintain constant touch with both sides in order to lake advanlago of every fresh development tending to narrow the gap between the conflicting claims. No settlement can be expected if the French, Belgians, and Germans are left to themselves. Sooner or later they will fight it out, with terrible consequences to Europe and the world. The British Army of Occupation, in difficult and politically humiliating circumstances, has maintained British prestige at a high level; but German business men .are amazed at Britain's passive acceptance of the present state of things, which is destroying British trade. Consequently the impression is growing that Britain is now a negligible factor. The report describes the general situation in the Ruhr as though Greater London were occupied by a hostile army of 100,000 men. The forces can shoot citizens, can destroy and terrorise, but cannot control. Franco is running the risk of being inextricably involved in the common ruin. Tho Labor Party adopted the report.— A. and N.Z. Cable. GERMAN PATENTS VOIDED BY FRANCE. PARIS, April 19. (Received April 20, at 9.35 a.m.) Tho committee now inquiring as to how to enforce Article 306 of the Versailles Treaty is taking the important Moissncr radio electric patents as a test case. It has been decided that all contracts between Frenchmen and German patentholders are null and void. Licenses to operate tho Moissncr patents will ho granted to all French applicants, the profits to go to tho devastated regions reparations fund.—A. and N.Z. Cable. PEACE BY UNDERSTANDING. REICHSTAG. FORMULATING OFFER. LONDON, April 19. Received April 20, at noon, Tho ‘Daily Telegraph’s’ Berlin correspondent states that there are good reasons for supposing that a majority of tho dominating personalities in the Reichstag favor Germany offering a definite sum as reparations, hut asking for an International commission of financiers, as Mr Hughes (U.S. Secretary of State) suggested), to decide the terms of payment, the guarantees, and whether the offer should be increased. All that is now hoped for is a peace by understanding. It is significant that the chief advocates of this plan are the supporters of Stiuncs and the .Socialists, who have hitherto been most difficult to reconcile on the reparations' question. Both parties are strenously trying to win the Cnno Cabinet to tho'above view,—A. and N.Z. Cable.