Shooting at Sight

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 77, 15 March 1923, Page 5

Shooting at Sight

POWERS OF FRENCH TROOPS.

SEVERE MEASURES AT BUER

BELGIUM AND THE ALLIES.

IBy Cable.—Preta Aaaociatlon.—Uouyrighl.)

(Received 15. 11.55 a.m.) No one in Buer is allowed out after 7 o’clock. All lights must be extinguished by 10 o’clock. The French closed th© Buer Grammar School. They accused th© teachers of teaching deceit, lies, hate, and revenge, and said th© teachers ought to be shot. An officer struck one teacher with his riding whip. The “Daily Express’s” Paris correspondent states that th© new liberty given the French troops in dealing with threatening demonstrations is interpreted here as autft>rity to shoot at sight, and is justified on the principle that th© army of occupation has the right to defend its lives. Th© “Daily Express’s” Brussels correspondent states that a high official in the Foreign Office to-day made a states ment that Belgium was faithful both to France and to Britain She certainly would not negotiate with Germany unless both Britain and Italy were present. • ' • “W© are in the Ruhr,” he said, “because the occupation is popular in Belgium and in order to give Germany a taste of what we experienced. We hope Germany will eventually pay. ’Though in complete agreement with Franc© regarding repression of sabotage and assassination, we told M. Poincare that w© cannot send reinforcements.”—(A. and N.Z.)

HOW STANDS BRITAIN INTERESTS GRAVELY EFFECTED. DEFINITE POLICY URGED. (Received 15, 11.5 a.m.’) London, March 14. “Th© Times,” in a leader emphasising th© seriousness of the situation, in the Ruhr, draws attention to the British interests directly affected. The British force in Cologne is *in an equivocal situation, and British trade on the Rhine is almost paralysed. The moment is rapidly approaching when England will be called on to play her part or claim a sliare in the solution of th© problems in the Ruhr.

It is not a question of intervention in th© Franco-German struggle, which would be futile, but “The Times” urges the Government to abandon its hesitant passivity and lay down the main lines of the policy England must follow in th© new phase of the history of Europe and the maintenance and assurance of peace in which the British Empire has great fundamental interests.

The leader asks: How can Britain rest content? Th© troops on guard /in Cologne ar© relics- of the Treaty of Versailles, while the face of Europe is being transformed.—(“Times.”)