FLOUTED BY THE FRENCH.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2593, 12 March 1923, Page 5

FLOUTED BY THE FRENCH.

BRITISH ‘SCRAPS OF PAPER.’

HUMILIATING POSITION AT COLOGNE.

NO GOODS MUST PASS, [By Electric Cable —Copyright,] [Aust. and N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Monday 2 a.m.) LONDON, March 10. ! Sir W. Beach Thomas, the “Daily f Express” Cologne correspondent, says - the position in the eastern semi-circle - of the British zone is humiliating. British passes, covering goods de- £ creed by the Rhineland Commission 0 to have free passage are being floutr ed by the French, whose sentries are d posted five yards from the British d boundary. This is part of the scheme £ to prevent the export or import in ; :o 8 the British zone of coal and raw d materials for factories, though it is y specifically stated they are entitled to ’> a free passage under international 1 agreement. FRENCH REPLY TO GERMAN NOTE. t £ JUSTIFIES RUHR ACTION. t (Received Sunday, 7 p.m.) PARIS, .March 10. France, in replying to the German Note of February 15, justifies her occupation of the Ruhr, firstly, nccause the section of the Versailles Treaty quoted by Germany permits the Allies, oa a voluntary German default to take any measures they think necessary; secondly, the Lonuon ultimatum of April, 1921, stated that the Allies would occupy the Ruhr valley and proceed to take other military action if Germany defaulted. Quoting the 3 Spa agreement regarding coal deliveries, Franco points out that GerI many has totally failed in her obligae tions to payments in cash and kind, 3 not having ptid up to December, 1922, t nearly one hundred million sterling. > The German Governments’ order to ’ the mines to refuse to deliver coal to j the Allies made it impossible for the f lartor to act in a friendly manner and - compelled them to requisition the coal. They had only proceeded against , the Ruhr officials whose conduct cn- - dangered the safety of the Allied ) forces. The Note concludes that l France is resolved to exact from Ger- - many in respect of her obligations i what Germany had contracted to sup- ■ ply. M. Poincare and the Foreign Af- ’ fairs Committee reiterated that they ; would not accept mediation, but were 1 ready to listen when Germany was ready to speak. BROADCASTING PATRIOTISM. i “JAMMED” BY EIFFEL TOWER. (Received Sunday, 7 p.m.) BERLIN, March 9. When a broadcasting apparatus here began sending out a statement regarding the Ruhr, and a patriotic song, Eiffel Tower, using the same wave length, promptly jammed the message. A concert which was broadcasted was uninterrupted till “Deutschland Über Alles” was sung, when the Eiffel Tower again drowned the message.