COLOGNE DECISION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 30 December 1924, Page 5

COLOGNE DECISION

ANGER.OF .GERMANS (By Xlectrjo Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Sun Cable.) ' ' LONDON.. Dec. 28 ' The Berlin corespondent of the. Daily News says the newspapers angrily condemn the decision not-to evacuate Cologne, and blame British cant more than French militarism.. The Vorwarts asks if 1925 ia to destroy patient constructive work towards peace built up in 1924. George Bernhard, the leading democratic publicist, declares that Britain, not France. is Germany's deadliest enemy, and contends that the British policy of obliteration of German trade competition demands the destruction of German factories. The tendency of the demands is obvious when it i's realised that the factories concerned are less dangerous to Britain as contributing to the reconstruction of Germany's armaments and industry than as competitors to British industry. Tlio decision increases Dr. -Marx's difficulties in forming a Cabinet.

The Democratic parties are depressed, but the Junkers are jubilant, and demand, as the answer to the Allies, the formation of a Cabinet embodying the national will to self-assertion.

PROTEST TO LEAGUE EXPECTED

(Eeater’a Telfegrams.)

BERLIN", Deo .28. Regarding the. non-evacuation of Cologne, the great danger apprehended is that the decision is n prelude to. the non-evacuation of the Ruhr next, September in accordance with a promise made at the London conference. Nationalist newspapers especially assert that France intends to remain in the Ruhr indefinitely on the ground that Germany has not fulfilled the Peace Treaty.' The Government is awaiting the. Note sent from the Ambassadors Conference. When this is received there is good reason to beiieve Germany will protest to the League of Nation's and demand the fixing of a definite date for the evacuation of Cologne and the Rum* simultaneously. GERMANY'S BREACH OF TREATY PARIS," Dec. 29. The Eclair now publishes the alleged text of a. report dated 24th April 1924, in which General Nollet, ex-President of the Inter-Allfeil Commission for ,the Military Control of Germany, and now Minister, of War, is mentioned as having set forth a number of points in which Germany was not observing the Treaty of Versailles in its military conditions. The report declares that the organisation of the...'.'Great General Staff" had attained its pre-war proportions, as also had the military organisation of the railways, and tlio training of various divisions. Arms were, on the same intensive scale, and were intended as preparatiou for war. ~■ .-,.,*. . .

The report- alleges that. no, accountlias been taken of the restrictions regarding aviation, tanks, and poison gas.

PROSECUTION OF THE ECLAIR PARIS, Doc. 28 Several of the ne.wrpapera criticise the action of the Government in prosecuting the. Eclair for publishing General Nollefc's report. It is stated that probably the Press Associations will protest against the Eclair, and the description of the publication as an act of espionage). PARIS, Dec. 29 , A spectacular but fruitless search- of the office of the journal Eclair' followed the decision of the Gpvernment to prosecute the Eclair for disclosing secret documents of importance to national defence. The announcement -a storm of i protest. on the part of almost the entire press. M. Maleche, president of the Paris Press Association, lias written to the . Premier protesting against a flagrant attack on the ...freeclom*of, the press. ..<.;, .., . . .M\ llerriot replied that journalistic indiscretions had several times hindered diplomatic negotiations and stating,that the Eclair's publication of the abridged memorandum of the Chequers meeting involved both M. Herriot and Mr MacDonald, while General Nollet'si report, an especially eonfidentialy document, was not published without the consent of the Allied Governments. ... U ..'

Opposition newspapers prophesy that the prosecution will marke the downfall of the Herriot Government. NO DESIRE TO TREAT GERMANY •HARSHLY : / LONDON, Dec. 29 The Standards diplomatic correspondent says Britain does not. desire r to treat Germany .harshly or hastily.. On the contrary'she hopes for the early evacuation of Cologne. The Allies will probably follow up the present Note with;-, a definite pronouncement of Germany's defaults. If the disarmament demands are cai-ried out evacuation is possible In June. : . : PARIS,. Dec. 29 .Tlie Government, denies, that continued, occupation,' of Cologne endangers the success of the Dawes plan and points out that the experts, while urging, evacuation of the Ruhr, did not mention: Cologne. v •;"«":• \