THE RUHR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 1 September 1923, Page 5

THE RUHR

RUMOURS OF NEGOTIATIONS

WITHOUT APPARENT FOUNDATION

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). (Australian A X.Z. Cable Association)

LONDON, August 31

The Daily Telegraph’s Dussefdorf cor-' respondent reports regarding the crop of rumours of impending negotiations between France and Germany:—“l can only say that I am unable to find any evidence of such a development. So far ar, the Ruhr population is concerned there is no reason why passive resistance cannot continue longer. Inconvenience has been the lot. of all, but none have! yet suffered hunger and cold, and the resistance is likely to ,continue till then. How long the remainder of Germany will stand the strain of supporting their brethren in the Ruhr and the Rhineland is another matter.” j

ITALY’S POSITION

ROME, August 30.

Signor Mussolini, in a report to Cabinet on international affairs, said 'bo situation in tho Ruhr was virtually unchanged since his speech of the Sth July. Nevertheless, there wore seme grounds for hope for some sort of a relaxation of the situation. Italy’s position regarding the Ruhr was—(l) Germany must pay the sum generally determined, but different from that fpoken of on the occasion of the Armistice; (2) Italy cannot tolerate territorial changes leading to political, economic, or military hegemony ; (3) Italy is disposed to near her share of 'the sacrifices for tho reconstruction of Europe; (4) Italy believes that the reparations and inter-A Hied debts are inter-dependent. M. Poincare had stated that the occupation only had tie scope of forcing Germany to pay, hut nothing had happened except the [fall of Herr Cuno. Britain had refused to make airy explicit declaration about condoning her debts in order to

reduce proportionately the German’s burden. The situ tn ion authorised the conclusion that every Ally had its oini special viewpoint, though no Ally, including Britain, was willing to push

its own viewpoint or policy to a point of provoking an irretrievable rupture of tho Entente.