FRENCH ENTRY INTO ESSEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 7

FRENCH ENTRY INTO ESSEN

SULLEN RECEPTION. FUNERAL OF PEOPLE'S PRIDE. OUTWARD CALM MASKS FURY ; By Telegraph— Association—Copyright, lA. arid NX ' LONDON. Jan. 12. ./Messages - from ■■:;Essen"' are reassuring. Although population is most excited Ino 'disorders :. are-' reported.' : ; Notwithj standing the outward calm that .prevails, | the occupation : is' fiercely' resented 'by 'the I population. - '"::'.': r.,, ; : - j The Berlin correspondent of the Times says: : Great crowds of people; with their faces set in an effort to maintain their ! self control, watched the French enter Essen. Occasionally cries of fury , and pain were heard. / The shutters of houses were "'closed, and the blinds/hi the shops were drawn. The ... 'pp Atibti ' was sul- . len and resentful as it , watched -. the passing of the column of dark-clue uniformed and helmeted troops. . First there were the cyclists, and then" came the. parti-coloured armoured cars and the cavalry. Frchi . ' the, sinister-looking armoured cars in; which no man coukl bo seen, protruded the, muzzles of the . machine-guns, as if-.saying to the hostileeyed crowd, 'Remember Ave are here.' llio silence with which ; the inwardly raging. Westphalian : workers: regarded the guns?'seemed to answer, -'We , will re- ; member to-day, never fear.'" !, In spile of the .menace of the, machineguns there were occasional angry murmurs from the crowd, breaking the general melancholy silence. Many, of the onlookers took no trouble to hide their hatred for the armed men, for whom the ride was a triumphal , one. L.he French soldiers looked straight in front of them, as if on ceremonial parade, and did not spare a glance for the furyblazing eyes of the -angry citizens stand*ing in long ranks*' ' I The French behaved With absolute cor - ! redness. There- was no hectoring, no jesting. They rode as conquerors, '": especially the officers, but hot with provocative suggestion of pride and military pomp. The whole impression of an onlooker was that of being present at the funeral of a people's pride. .' , At the post office an officer and some troopers dismounted. : ' The men barred the entrance and the exit and made prisoners of ail within. *The infantry then appeared and cleared A < the pavement of the ' agitated German's, -who pro tested, 1 - but were swep( aside coldly.;«An officer :went into the office; to;.-.take: over- the administration, and within five minutes Essen was ■ cut Off from: postal, telegraphic, and" . telephonic communication with the nuter world. The service was soon restored, however, and -the-' Germans who had been temporarily imprisoned in the; office were released; .'/; ' v';'/;..>;-;: <; / : General : Rampon, -commanding the occupying forces, subsequently - demanded and held an interview ;with the burgomaster; who is / named - Luther, andj; informed him that there .was no - wish to impose unnecessary burdens' upon < the people. - The general said that when various' controls had been instituted in connection-, the canals, railways, and post office, "the troops would be 'withdrawn. ;.' '":•'■". . '■ : v ;-..■;•_. ( Herr Luther replied that he could , only I accept the actions forced upon him, as 'he was . unable to resist. .. He protested against the French action in using military/force against a disarmed and ; de- / fenceless: population. / It was - totally illegal, ' , • "•-..■ GjlneraTEampori /did not reply :to the protest, 'sainted, .and then withdrew.