RHINELAND FORCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 11

RHINELAND FORCES.

REDUCTION DISCUSSED. FRENCH NOTE TO BRITAIN. (Received August 19, 11.30 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Aug. 19. The British Cabinet has received a communication from the French Government about a reduction of the Allied forces now in occupation of the Rhineland. The British view is that a reduction is almost overdue. The text of the French Note is secret. It is, however, gathered that it deals mainly with objections to Britain's idea of the substantial reductions which the Ambassadors' Conference, held on November 14, 1926, undertook to make. Apparently the French military authorities are not pleased with the idea of a reduction of even 5000 troops, whereas a reduction of 10,000 to 12,000 would be favoured by the British Government. It is understood the French Note suggests a reduction of 5000 French troops and another 5000 divided between the British and Belgian forces. However, as the French total is at present more than 50,000 and the BelgoBritish total less than 15,000 a reduction in these proportions would obviously diminish seriously the inter-Allied character of the army of occupation.