CONCENTRATING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18758, 11 January 1923, Page 5

CONCENTRATING

TROOPS QN ZONE EDGE. HEADQUARTERS AT DUSSELDORF. 56,000 ALLIED TROOPS IN AREA. Proas Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 10. (Received Jan. 11, at 1.15 a.m.) M, Poincare has ordered an advance of the troops at midnight on January 10.—A. and N.Z. Cable. PARIS, January 9. (Received Jan. 10, at 7.20 p.m.) France is ready tor action. General Degoutte has moved his headquarters to Dnsseldorf, and is awaiting the signal to advance. It is understood that tanks will precede the troops, and that cavalry, artillery, and aeroplanes will he extensively used. Thirty-live thousand French troops are now in the occupied area, divided into three Army Corps, also 4500 British, 3500 Americans, and 13,000 Belgians.—-A. and N.Z. Cable. BERLIN, January 9. Large French contingents have arrived at Dnsseldorf. The French advanced as for as Mulheim without informing the authorities at Essen what further progress they propose to make. The Cabinet considers that the French action has violated the Versailles Treaty, and it is preparing to appeal to the signatories. It is stated that Germany will refuse to meet her financial obligations on January 18, owing to this breach, also owing to the absolute collapse of the mark.—A. and N.Z. Cable. Messages from German sources report a considerable movement of French troops towards the Ruhr. Thirty-eight trains were signalled at Mainz, and from there they entered intermediate stations. The staffs of several French regiments have arrived at Duisburg, where troops arc expected to-day. Heavy artillery and sappers are reported to have arrived from the neighbourhood of the Meuse. —Reuter. [Ruhrort, Duisburg, and Dnsseldorf are on the German edge of the area of mili-

tary occupation by- the Allies. Mulheim is jest over the Rhine from Cologne, and is some distance within the area.] THE BRITISH ARMY. DEMAND FOR WITHDRAWAL. LONDON, January 9. (Received Jan. 10, at 7.20 p.m.) The Daily Express demands that the British Army he withdrawn from the Rhine, otherwise it will he drawn into the meshes of a policy which the British people consider unwise and dangerous.— A. and N.Z. Cable.

GERMAN EXCITEMENT. ONE-DAY STRIKE AT ESSEN. PRESIDENT’S PROCLAMATION. BERLIN, January 10. (Received Jan. 10, at 5.5 p.m.) President Ebert has issued a proclamation, which has been posted in the Ruhr towns, declaring that the Treaty of Versailles has been broken, and that force is triumphant over humanity. The population is asked to remain faithful and calm, and Germany will fight for them until they aije free. Excitement in Germany is increasing. A general strike is being organised at Essen, where already a day s strike of protest has been proclaimed. Herr Rosenberg declares that the Treaty

of Versailles does not provide for further niilitary occupations; nor does it permit separate hrench action. —A. and N.Z, Cable. FRENCH COMMENT. PARIS, January 9. The Petit Parisien states: “French engineers have arrived at Dusseldorf. They cannot proceed to the Ruhr, because no French troops are there. Belgian and, Italian engineers will shortly proceed to Dusseldorf.” Le Journal says: “Another contingent of Jirench engineers has gone to Dusseldorf with detachments of railway workers and five officers.” The Matin’s Coblenz correspondent reports that the engineers will he accompanied to Essen by 25,000 soldiers. Violent anti-French tracts are being circulated throughout the Rhineland. The Petit Parisien saya: ‘‘The only soldiers being sent to the Ruhr are those who will replace General Degoutte’s army, which was spread over too large an area.” L'fEnvre says: “Action, will be taken on Thursday, when General Degoutte’s advance guards will pass the frontier of

the neutral zone fronting Dusseldorf, Duisburg, and Ruhrort. When M. Poincare mounts the tribune in the Chamber of Deputies France will already have piled arms on Essen soil. Belgian soldiers will accompany the French soldiers and the Allied engineers.”—A. and N.Z. Gable. AMERICA’S OPPOSITION. FRANCE DENIES REPORT. PARIS, January 9. The report that the United States Government has semi-officiallv expressed its disapproval of the French occupation of the Ruhr is authoritatively denied.—A.

and N.Z. Cable. AN AMERICAN RETRY. WASHINGTON. January 9. The State Department officials expressed amazement at despatches from Paris stating that the French Foreign Office denied receiving in any way a proposal by the United States for an international commission of experts to recommend the German reparations figure. The highest of the Administration’s officials reiterated that Mr Hughes’s proposal was submitted to Prance in a definite way through the regular official diplomatic channels. The officials stated, regarding a similar 'denial that France had received a, protest from the United States against the Ruhr occupation, that there had been no formal protest: but at the same time the United States had strongly intimated its opposition to such action.—A. and N.Z; Cable. STATEMENT BY MR HUGHES. WASHINGTON, January 9. The Secretary of State (Mr C. E. Hughes) has formally stated that the American proposal for an international commission of experts to determine the German reparations figure was presented directly to the French Government through its Ambassador, M'. Jusscrand. Mr Hughes declared: It is undoubted that the°attitude of the United States Government towards the proposed French occupation is well understood. —A. and N.Z. Cable.