AFRICAN DISAPPROVAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18295, 11 January 1923, Page 7

AFRICAN DISAPPROVAL

NOT HEEDED BY FRANCE. COMMUNICATIONS DENIED. [AMAZEMENT IN WASHINGTON By Teles Press Association—Copyright. (Received 4.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. WASHINGTON. Jan. 9. Tho . Secretary of State, Mr. C. E. Hughes, has .formally made a statement regarding the American proposal for an international commission of experts to recommend the amount of the German reparation figure,, which, he says, was presented directly to the French Government through the French Ambassador in Washington, M. Jusserand. Mr Hughes declared that there was no doubt that the attitude of the United State.? Government toward the proposed French occupation of the Ruhr was well understood. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times states that while tho Administration has confidential knowledge regarding tho reparation situation, that no action by the United States at this time would change the plans for the French invasion of the Ruhr region, it is convinced that . tho French Government had ample time to consider the attitude of the United States Government, and it has reached the decision that its action shall not be decided thereby. It is felt that further formal action by the United States might cause considerable bad feeling among tho French. Officials of the Department of State expressed amazement at despatches from Paris, stating that the French Office denied receiving in any way a proposal from the United States for the setting-up of an international commission of experts for the purpose of making recommendations on the question of the amount of reparations Germany could be expected to pay. -The" highest officials of the Administration reiterate that the proposal of Mr. C. E. Hughes was v submitted to France in a definite way through tha regular and official diplomatic channels. These officials also make a similar statement in regard to the denial from Paris that Franco has received a protest from the United States concerning the proposed occupation of the Ruhr region. While it is true that there has not been any formal protest, yet at tho same time the United States has strongly intimated its opposition to such action on the part of France. An earlier cablegram from London stated that the report that the United States Government had semi-officially expressed its disapproval! of the French occupation of the Ruhr region was authoritatively denied in Paris.