DETERMINED GERMANS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18765, 19 January 1923, Page 5

DETERMINED GERMANS.

A TEST OF ENDURANCE. ■ LONDON, January 18. (Received Jam 18, at 7.15 p.m.) The D*ily Chronicle’s Berlin correspondent says; The German Government and people are preparing the nation for a grim struggle of endurance. —A. and N.Z. Cable. LONDON, January 17. The Morning Rost’s Paris correspondent states that information from the Ruhr does not indicate that passive resistance is abating. Bibs are posted at the entrance to every mine and factory stating that owing to the irruption of branch and Belgian troops into the Ruhr all deliveries of coal, even when payment is offered in advance, are prohibited. The Germans evidently count on causing trouble by a food shortage. AU the stocks of Hour were removed before the arrival of the French; also robing stock and railway material. ( A report that the coal owners are prepared to resume coal deliveries in order to avoid having supplies rcouisitioned has proved unfounded. A system of requisitions operated to-day, and several tram loads of coal were despatched by the French to France.

The German coal owners have cabled to their customers abroad that owing to force majeure they are compelled to cancel their contracts for the export of coal. 44,000 TROOPS ENGAGED. FULLY EQUIPPED FOR WAR. PARIS, January 17. M. Poincare informed the United States Government that the total number of occupational troons is 44,000. —A. and N.Z. Cable. LONDON, January 17. The Daily Mail's Dusseldorf correspondent states that the French have completed their plans for dealing with any situation that may arise. A belief prevails throughout the Ruhr that an advance is likely on Munster. It is rumoured that the forces of the Reichswehr there may attempt armed opposition, but the madness of such an enterprise is apparent to anyone who has watched the march of the perfectly-eouipped French army, with seventy-fives, howitzers, ma-chine-guns, armoured cars, and tanks, following closely the cavalrv and infafitry regiments.— A. and N.Z. Cable.

GERMAN FIGHTS GERMAN. PARIS. January 17. (Received Jan. 18, at 9.10 p.m.) Various outbreaks between Nationalists and Communists at Dortmund were reported to-day. The French do not intend to interfere unless they are attacked. —A. and N.Z. Cable. POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICTS. NEW YORK, January 17, (Received Jan. 18, at 11.5 p.m.) It is understood here that the German Government has informed the French that if they penetrate into the towns where active groups of the Landwehr are assembled there will be a danger of conflicts, though this is in no manner countenanced by the German Government. — A. and N.Z. Cable. FRENCH WARNINGS. PARIS, January 17.

Lc Matin warns -Berlin of the consequences of its attitude, recalling the fact that 10,000,000 Germans in the Rhine'and and the Ruhr are economically independent of the rest of Germany, and pointing out that a solution can be tound by organising Rhineland and the Ruhr into a buffer State under international control, from which the Allies can obtain reparation payments without affecting the prosperity of these regions. The Echo National savs that unless Germany yields France will be forced to carry out the entire by establishing a Customs cordon east of the Ruhr along the right bank of the Rhine, rendering herself mistress of the economic relations of the Ruhr and Rhineland and also of the rest of Germany.—A. and N.Z. Cable. LONDON. January 17.

A prominent member of the French Mission said to the Dusseldorf correspondent of The Times; “There is nothing that we are not prepared to do to oblige the industrialists. We will abandon our present attitude, and even co to Berlin if,necessary.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. HERE STINNFS’S ACTIVITY. BERLIN, January 17. The Stinnes Company has removed its headquarters from Mu'heim to Hamburg. —A. and N.Z. Cable. EFFECT FELT IN CANADA. PARIS, January 17. (Received Jan. 18, at 7.15 p.m.) Reuter’s Dusseldorf correspondent

states: It is learned from a good source that owing to the occupation of the Ruhr Herr Hugo Stinnes has cancelled his contracts for iron ore with Canadian companies. Consequently 2500 workers in Newfoundland are likely to be rendered idle.—Reuter. LONDON, January 17. The Daily Telegraph says that Herr Stinnes has obtained credit for £2,000,000 from a group of London banks for the purchase of coal.—A. and N.Z. Cable. AMERICA’S ATTITUDE. BOYDEN REPORT EXPLAINED. WASHINGTON, January 17. The Senate Department to-night cleared up the confusion concerning Mr Boyden’g reported. reparations plan. Mr Boyden in November, upon the suggestion of the Reparations Commission, prepared a memorandum which would serve as the basis of a communication with the German Government concerning reparations. Mr Boyden was further requested to draw up a letter to send to Germany. He did this purely as a personal matter. Although ho forwarded a copy of this letter to the State Department, the letter did not concern any plan of settlement of the reparations, but dealt with genera' considerations concerning the necessity of establishing confidence, and especially regarding the importance of the German Government oxpressitlg Germany's national will for peace. Mr Boyden did not consult the State Department' before drawing up his letter. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

[The New York World's Paris correspondent declared that Mr Hoyden, the American representative on the Reparations Commission, presented on Friday an entirely new Man for the solution of the reparations question, hintinn that the plan had Washington's approval. Mr Hughes declared that it did not represent the American official attitude. The report exonerated Germany in certain particulars for not supplying reparations coal, declaring that there were extenuating circumstances.] NO AMERICAN ACTION. NEW YORK, January 17. The New York Times’s Washington correspondent says: Air Hughes lias sent a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee giving a detailed account of Mr Hoyden’s activities in answer to Senator Robinson’s resolution asking for such information, and suggesting the appointment of an official American member on the Reparations Commission. It is understood that the letter, which has not been published, points out that the Government is well satisfied with Mr Hoyden's activities, and has no intention of recalling him. The Administration also feels that it is inadvisable at this time, to appoint an official representative to the Commission. TT . Inquiry elicited the fact that the United States is not now co-operating with Britain or Italy in any effort to bring pressure to bear on k ranee. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

OFFER OF MEDIATION. ROME, January 16. The Foreign Ministry announces that the Government has offered to mediate between France and Germany. Italy s proposals embrace the economic control of the Ruhr and a commercial alliance with Germany. Italy is anxious that the alliance should not be anti-British in any way.—A. and N.Z. Cable. COLLAPSE OF MARK. NEW YORK REFUSES BUSINESS. NEW YORK, January 17. (Received Jan. 18, at 11.5 p.m.) Almost total demoralisation of the German mark has occurred on the foreign exchange market here. Following on the further penetration of the French into the Ruhr, the mark dropped approximately to 21,000 to the dollar. Many of the exchange dealers now decline to accept any business in German exchange, alleging that the mark has long since passed the point where there is a possibility of a speculative recovery. Meantime there is an active demand for actual paper marks in New York, but they cannot be purchased for less than approximately double the current exchange quotations.—A. and N.Z. Cable. The precipitous decline in the value of the mark (the par rate being 20.43 to £1) is shown by the following table: August. 1, 1920 .; 160 August 1, 1921 292 January 1, 1922 66° June 1, 1922 1.200 July 1, 1922 1.650 July 31, 1922 2,900 August 2, 1922 3,700 August 14, 1922 4,040 August 18, 1922 5,600 August 23, 1922 6,503 August 24, 1922 8,303 August 28, 1922 6,550 August 31, 1922 7,300 September 7, 1922 5,850 September 14, 1922 6,775 September 21, 1922 6,250 September 25, 1922 6,175 September 28. 1922 7,409 October 2, 1022 7,850 October 3, 1922 8,300 October 9, 1922 .. 12,150 October 16, 1922 13,200 October 19, 1922 14,650 November 6, ,1922 30,500 November 30, 1922 35,500 December 4, 1922 37,000 December 12j 1922 38,000 . December 18, 1922 29.500 December 28, 1922 34,500 January 1, 1923 33,000 January 4, 1923 37,500 January 8, 1923 44,500 January 11, 1923 48,000 January 15, 1923 61,500 January 16, 1923 78,000 LATE MESSAGES. LCJNDON, January 18. (Received Jan. 19, at 1.30 a.m.) A reliable message from Moscow declares that the Soviet has decided to mobilise five years’ conscripts, intending to assist Germany if armed resistance to the French occupation becomes feasible.—A. and N.Z. Gable. BERLIN, January 18. The Government is introducing a Bill, similar to the Defence of the Realm Act.— A. and N.Z. Cable. BERLIN, January 18. Although reparations’ deliveries to France and Belgium have ceased, it is stated that they will continue to be made to Britain, Italy, Jugo-Slavia, and Poland.—Reuter. PARIS, January 18. Orders have been given for the immediate exploitation of the State forests on the left hank of the Rhine, as a sanction for the default in timber deliveries.—A. and N.Z. Cable.