OPPOSING FRANCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 611, 22 January 1923, Page 5

OPPOSING FRANCE.

GERMAN LABOURITES.

RESENTMENT OF “INVASION.”

RESISTANCE TO BE SUPPORTED.

Received January 22, 9.35 a.m. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. BERLIN, Jan. 20. The newspaper Vonvacrts states that a conference of the principal Socialist and Labour bodies unanimously decided that it was the duly of Labour to give all appropriate support to the resistance being offered to the Franoo-Bolgian “invasion,” though the fight against reaction will be simultaneously and energetically resumed. —Router. HOTELKEEPERS’ BOYCOTT. REFUSAL OF ACCOMMODATION. Received January 22, 9.30 a.m. BERLIN, Jan. 20. Tho Hotelkeepers’ Association has decided to refuse to accommodate any French or Belgian people and also to discontinue the sale of French viands.— Reuter. SHOOTING OF A GERMAN. ACTION BY FRENCH SENTRY. - Received January 22, 9,15 a.m PARIS, Jan. 21. A French sentry near Dortmund shot and killed a German civilian. The sentry had to use his rifle owing to the hostility of the crowd—A. and N.Z. cable. FRENCH OCCUPY BANKS. WAGES CANNOT BE PAID. , , LONDON, Jan. 19. According to the Essen correspondent of the Doily Express, the French ordered the mining officials and technical experts to remain at their offices day and night and sentries were stationed outside to ensure the order being carried out. When the miners’ leaders heard of the order, they said the miners would walk out of the mines unless trio troops were withdrawn and the arrested officials were released. General Degoutte thereupon modified his orders. The Frankfurter Zeitung states that tho French authorities at Frankfurt’ have seized the' resources of the Reichsbank and other banks in the town. The buildings are occupied by soldiers, the safes are sealed, and money will not be paid out any longer. The newspaper adds: “No wages or salaries can be paid this week-end, as the firms are without ready money and people will not accept cheques.—A, and N.Z. cable. HERR CUNO’S STATEMENT. ALLEGED BREACH OF TREATY. t LONDON, Jan. 21. Herr Cuno, on being interviewed by the Observer’s Berlin correspondent, stated that the whole world would now see the hollowness of the French pretext that no operations of a military character were contemplated. Nobody in his senses could pretend that two army divisions and a division of cavalry were necessary to protect the commission of engineers against Essen’s unarmed population, but it was significant that such a pretext should have been put forward. The French Government, by putting it forward, had admitted that operations of a military character were a breach of the Treaty of Versailles. The French Government, in order to cloak its action with the semblance of legality, had pretended that its measures were purely economic. Tho German Government noted that fact with satisfaction for it vindicated its contention that France’s and Belgium’s military occupation of the Ruhr was a violation of the treaty. “I have too high an opinion of M. Poincare’s intelligence to suppose that be can for a moment think the occupation of the Ruhr will result in the collection of reparations. His speech in the Chamber of Deputies showed that he has no such hope. Had he wished to make tho payment of reparations forever impossible, he could hardly have acted otherwise. France’s and Belgium’s invasion of the Ruhr has started the German mark on the same headlong, downward course as the Austrian crown. Tho object of France’s policy is to control Germany’s industrial production. We are defending the independence of German territory and the liberty of the German population against tho designs of an aggressive Imperialism. We shall stand firm. I know -the whole of tho German people are behind us,”—A. and N.Z. cable. MINES REQUISITIONED. PARIS. Jan. 20. Nine State mines in the Ruhr were requisitioned on Friday, having an output of nine million tons a year. They will be operated under the direct orders of French, Belgian and Italian engineers. French foresters are already at work in the State forests and the first shipments of timber are ready for despatch to France and Belgium. The Press states that despite the Ruhr miners’ threats to strike in consequence of tho requisitioning, the authorities urej confident of the final result of the contest against Gorman obstinacy, The Petit Parisian says that the French have already obtained twenty thousand tons of coal by diverting train loads going to Germany, and points out that the seizure of the Customs offices will enable the French to keep in the Rhineland and seize, if necessary, the gold which the Rheinishers have hitherto sent to tho Reichsbank, France and Belgium have resumed control of the Customs and have established posts in the occupied area. The debate on tho withdrawing of M. Cachin’s immunity was very rowdy. When an exchange of abuse between the extremists of the Left and Right was at its height, M. Barthe, a Socialist, and M. Baron, a Communist, clenched theiy fists and appeared to rise in order to attack the President. The ushers seized them and dragged them from the steps of the President’s seat. Others joined in the fray until the floor of the Chamber was a whirling mass of struggling, fighting deputies. The President suspended "the sitting, but the fighting continued. M. Lefevre seizing M. Murat by the collar as the latter felled a Communist. Finally tho ushers wore reinforced and ended the row. The debate ended by tho singing of the Marseillaise and the Internationale. —A. and N.Z. cable. SEEKING AN AGREEMENT. LONDON, Jan. 20. The Evening Standard’s Dusscldorf correspondent understands that M. Poincare has invited M, Loucheur to take over the economic problems in the Ruhr and seek an agreement with the Gorman magnates. A. and N.Z. cable. GENERAL STRIKE CALLED. BERLIN, Jan. 21. A general strike has been called for Monday throughout the State mines. The French have confiscated _ all branches of the German banks’ credit institutions and tax-collecting agencies in the old and new occupied territory.—A. and N. cable. WORKERS’ PROTEST. AMSTERDAM, Jan. 19. The bureau of the International Federation of Trade Unions has unanimously decided immediately to communicate with the affiliated national trade union centres in regard to the possibility of an energetic protest by workers against the French occupation of the Ruhr.—A. and N.Z. cable.

SYMPATHY WITH FRANCE. NEW' YORK, Jan. 20. Sir Robert Horne, in a speech at an Eng-lish-Speaking Union gathering, expressed sympathy with He declared that ho had never sympathised with Germany, but pointed out that unless German capitalists were made to believe Germany was a country safe for them —and this could not be done if one began to seize by force any material whereupon Germany depended lor

carrying out her trade—there would be collapse of the organisation of the civilised society of Europe such as the world bad never known before. He called upon the United States to furnish some fresh idea to deal with the great problems now afflicting the human race and said he looked in the end to the situation being saved by the sagacity of the American people, who were able to take a more detached viewpoint, and whose influence was overwhelming.—A. and N.Z. cable. RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS. MOSCOW, Jan. 20. The War Cabinet has appointed a special triumvirate, - headed by Trotsky, to carry out all' measures considered necessary in view of the Polish concentrations and the French invasion of the Ruhr.—A. and N.Z. cable.