THE FRENCH PLANS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 6 January 1923, Page 7

THE FRENCH PLANS.

~>' OF/KUiIR.

CUSTOMS BARRIER

LONDON, Jan. 5,

Mr M. Donohue, writing in the Daily .''•Chronicle, says now that France has recovered her liberty of -action a Note will be sent to Germany requesting ac•'cep'tance of the French plan, and if 'Germany refuses sanctions will immediately be applied, including the-occu-pation of Essen, Bochum and the Ruhr, ■ and ,the establishment of a Customs -barrier.

It is understoqd Mr Bonar Law will 'cancel Britain's participation in the 'Reparations Commission, giving a ;.year's notice to that effect. Meanwhile the British delegates will abstain from attending. •

According to a message from Lau-.-saniie, the delegates were astonished at the collapse of the conference. The ' Turks are openly rejoicing at the news. M. Tchitcherin interviewed Isinct Pasha, the- conference lasting two : hours. ...'••■ ,'*- Tlie Paris correspondent of the Daily "Express says the operations connected with the occupation of the Ruhr are expected to be completed in one day. The farthest point of the seetioii to be1 occupied is only ten'miles distant from. the present French-occupied area.^Four to five thousand troops will be used to deal with expected incidents.

It is learned that Mr Bonar Law lias unofficiall}' suggested to M.. Poincare nthe withdrawal of the British from.the / Rhine, as the French action would remove the possibility of German payments for the cost of the armies of -occupation. ' x