THE RUHR STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18769, 24 January 1923, Page 5

THE RUHR STRIKE

EAILWAYMEN BEHIND MINERS. FRENCH MAY SEIZE LINES. NEW MORATORIUM PROPOSALS. Frees Association —By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 22. A general strike of miners in the Ruhr has commenced.—Reuter. PARIS, January 22. Le Petit Parisian's Dusseldorf correspondent says that the miners’ unions have unanimously adopted a policy of folded arms. They have decided to descend into the mines, but they will refuse to work. Le Petit Parisian slates; “If the strike proceeds France intends to expel the German Commissioners and civil servants from the Rhineland and to establish a Customs barrier eastward of the newlyoccupied territory, in order to prevent coal from reaching Northern Germany. This will mean cutting off tho Ruhr from Prussia.”—A. and N.Z. Cable. ' BERLIN, January 22. (Received Jan. 23, at 8.5 p.m.) The Lokal Anzeiger states that a conference of tho railway trade unions at Essen decided to prevent any coal from reaching France. If this results in further arrests by the French, an immediate general strike will be ordered, in which event the Government has undertaken to guarantee the strikers 130 milliards of marks. All tho other German unions have endorsed the railwaymen’s decision.—A. and N.Z. Cable. NEW YORK, January 22. (Received Jan. 25, at 9.10 p.m.) The New York Times’s Washington correspondent learns from the French Embassy that France will not be taken by surprise, and is quite prepared to meet any general railway strike in the Ruhr. Prance anticipated such a move, and made plans accordingly. She is preparing an organised force to take control and man the railways.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THYSSEN’S RELEASE DEMANDED. 54,000 THREATEN TO STRIKE. BERLIN, January 22. (Received Jan. 23, at 9.45 p.m.) Following on the miners and railwaymen’s resolution, the Ruhr miners descended into the pits, but refused to work. The railwaymen also struck. It is expected that the strikes will spread considerably. The Frankfurter Zeitung says that railway traffic was resumed south of Dortmund, on the French undertaking that tho soldiers patrolling the station should not have bayonets. A delegation of workmen from Herr Thyssen’s works informed General Simon that if Herr Thyssen was not released 64,000 workers would strike immediately. —A. and N.Z. Cable. DORTMUND SETTLEMENT. GERMAN WORKERS SCORE. PARIS, January 23. (Received Jan. 23, at 11.25 p.m.) It is reported that tho French, intend to break the strikes in the Ruhr by protecting persons who wish to work and by feeding them. A meeting of the Labour leaders at Bochum decided to inform the French that the German Labourites were free men, and would never be the slaves of foreigners. The Daily Express’s Essen correspondent states that the Dortmund railwaymen refused to return to work until the French agreed to the following ultimatum : Sentries at single cabins to be removed ; guards only permitted to enter stations when provision trains arrive; sentries to remove their bayonets; no coal trucks going to Germany to be directed to F rance; all the -arrested directors and officials to be released. It is reported from Essen that the French agreed to these sweeping demand*, but the six magnates are still in prison at Mayence.—A. and N.Z. Cable. NEW FRENCH PLAN. DRASTIC CONTROL SUGGESTED. LONDON, January 23. (Received Jan. 23, at 9.10 u.m.) The Westminster Gazette’s Paris correspondent says that the French moratorium plan has been communicated to the Reparations Commission. It provides for a moratorium for two years. Germany will pay £125,000,000 (furnishable by the industrialists), with an additional £25,000,000 for the stabilisation of the market. It also provides measures for the reconstruction of German finance, including taking 25 per cent, from different forms of German riches, the creation of certain monopolies, and the control of receipts and expenditure bv an organisation possessing the power of veto.—A. and N.Z. Cable. AMERICA'S ATTITUDE. WILL PRESS FRANCE FOR PAYMENT. NEW YORK, January 22. (Received Jan. 23, at 9.10 p.m.) According to the Washington correspondent of the New York Times, an official intimation has been made that the United States will bring pressure to hear on France for an immediate settlement of her war debt to the United States of 40,000,000.000 francs. The view is held that if France can maintain huge armies, she cannot reasonably expect leniency from the United States, which opposes her militaristic policy.—A. and N.Z. Cable. SYMPATHY FOR GERMANY. SENATOR BORAH’S VIEWS. NEW YORK, January 22. (Received Jan. 23, at 8.5 p.m.) Senator Borah, in a statement, said: “The United States cannot with honour remain silent concerning the Ruhr situation. We see the German people turned over to the most destructive and ruthless methods of militarism, and we do not so much as even record a protest. We should have called a conference, and sought through honourable and peaceful methods to avoid this crisis, but this we declined to do. We remained silent and inactive, without a nolicy or nrogramme when the interests of humanity, and the most vital economic interests of our own people, demanded that we should make a nronounced and unmistakable effort to bring the Powers concerned into a conference. We should declare our attitude and onr position, and make onr protest. What France is doing will not bring compensation, but will bring suffering to Europe and to’the United States.” The New York Times’s Washington correspondent, commenting on Senator Borah’s statement, says the nfficialr. believe that any interference with France at this iunctnre would cause a. breach in Franco-American relations which would place this Government without the pale i'of usefulness should occasion he presented for American intervention. Air Huvhes and President Harding are credited with being in a mood to welcome suggestions as to what course they might follow to bo helpful, but thus far they have not found in anv proposal that ha.s been advanced any practical method which could be applied under the existing conditions of French policy and public opinion.—A. and N.Z. Cable.