SECURITY OF FRANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18349, 13 September 1921, Page 5

SECURITY OF FRANCE

DISTRUST OF GERMANY. M. POINCAREIS DEMANDS. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. PARIS, September 12. (Received Sept. 12, at 7.30 p.m.) Ex-President Poincare, whose many articles in the newspapers show ■ the deepest distrust of Germany and insist on the security of France, demands the strictest application of the penalties provided for in the Peace Treaty for any default bv Germany. M. Poincare contributes to Le Temps a lengthy article repealing secret negotiations at the Peace Conference between M. Glemenceau, Mr Lloyd George, and exPresident Wilson regarding the military occupation of the. Rhine Provinces. M. Poincare as President, -with the aid of M. Glemenceau and Marshal Foch, used his utmost influence to secure the insertion in tho Peace Treaty of a clause enabling the Allies to occupy the Rhine Provinces until Germany had carried out all the treaty's conditions, including full payment of reparations, which would take a minimum of 30 years. Mr Lloyd George'and Dr Wilson refused to extend the period for tho occupation of the Rhine beyond 15 years, preferring a still shorter period. M. Glemenceau reluctantly agreed to 15 years after Mr Lloyd George and Dr W T i!son had signed an agreement by which Great Britain and America undertook to send E'ranee military aid if she were attacked without provocation by Germany. This agreement, which was dependent on ratification by the British and American Parliaments, became a dead letter by the American Senate’s refusal to ratify the treaty. M. Poincare’s article in Le Temps suggest/. that France should now demand new guarantees in regard to Germany’s fulfilment of the treaty, as the terms under which France agreed that the occupation of the Rhine should be reduced to 15 ycate had been broken—A. and N.Z. Cable.