THE RUHR.

Grey River Argus, 20 April 1923, Page 5

THE RUHR.

' REPARATIONS QUESTION PARIS, April 18. The Foreign Office considers that Herr Rosenberg’s speech carries the 1 reparations no further. France awaits definite proposals. LONDON, April 18. I Replying to a question in the Commons, as to whether the Government was prepared to invite the nations concerned to confer with a view to funding the Allied war debts, Mr Baldwin said that ho thought nothing would be gained by the conference at present, adding that the amount of reparations to be demanded from Germany was tne greatest possible payment she could make, and this was not dependent on inter-Alli cd indebtedness. BERLIN, April 18. Hatzfeld, High Commissioner of the Occupied Zone, has vacated the Rhineland as the result of the Commission’s decision to. abolish the post. Germany is protesting. GERMANY’S IMPASSE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE. (Received April 19, 8.20 p.m.) LONDON, April 19. The “Daily Telegraph’s’’ Beilin correspondent emphasises the anxiety of the Reichstag to extricate itself from the Ruhr impasse, and summarises Germany’s economic situation as follows: — The exports in January were 85 per cent, below those of January, 1922, while the imports doubled. A curious feature was the importation of luxury articles, liqueurs, spirits, and cigarettes, as well as essential commodities. The Reichsbank every month increases its note-printing output. in January, it increased from 35 to 75 milliard daily. The March output aimed at 125 milliards of marks daily. The foreign currencies belonging to the industrialists are rapidly diminishing. The Reichsbank ’s gold reserves are rapidly going abroad. The correspondent asks: — “ What bodes such a situation for Germany or the Allies?” A WARNING. According to a Cologne message, the French Commandcr-in-Chicf has posted a warning in Bochum that acts of sabotage will be punished with hard labour for life. MARK FALLS AGAIN. COAL IMPORTS TOO COSTLY. BERLIN, April 19. There are conflicting opinions re*garding the latest fall of the mark, which has caused a panic on the Bourse. The financiers are asking whether it means the collapse of the German Government's stabilisation policy, or the beginning of a new subtle move. Others allege that it is dm* to French influences. It is also pointed out that Germany’s huge foreign coal purchases must now be paid for in foreign currency. The coal imports since the Ruhr crisis began have cost from three to four million sterling per month, and the coal now threatens to reach six millions.

UNEMPLOYED FIRED ON. I THEY APPEAL TO FRENCH. i (Received April 19, 9.10 p.m.) | LONDON, April 18. | According to a Dusseldorf telegram,' two thousand unemployed marched to the Mulheim Town Hall, and asked for 70,000 marks in a lump sum per man. When refused, they stoned and smashed the windows. The German police intervened. Several shots were fired on the demonstrators. One of them was killed, and others were injured. The demonstrators then appealed to the French authorities for aid and protection.