FRANCE AND GERMANY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 20

FRANCE AND GERMANY.

WILL OCCUPATION FAIL? UNFORTUNATE MISUNDERSTANDING. LONDON, January 21. The Daily Telegraph's diplomatic correspondent says : French experts re-examined Britain's plan in connection with reparations which was rejected at the Paris Conference. Their opinion was decidedly leas hostile than at first, more especially regarding the indemnity total. They contend that the least unsatisfactory features of the plan were misconceived owing to the involved draftsmanship. Had they been fully explained, they might well have been discussed, and in the total might have proved acceptable to France, if her percentage had been raised from 52 to about 70. A GROWING BOYCOTT. BERLIN, January 21. The boycott of French goods is spreading. The Reichsbank ha* instructed all the banks to transfer to neutral countries their deposits of French and Belgian francs. The railway workers believe that they can disorganise the whole railway system in the occupied area, but the French authorities are convinced that all efforts to paralyse transport are doomed to failure. The French policy is to obtain reparations coal without interfering with the German miners. REPLY TO MR LLOYD GEORGE. PARIS, January 21. M. Saint Brice, the foreign editor of Le Journal, traverses Mr Lloyd George's latest Article. He denies that Germany has paid the amount of the 1870 indemnity threefold, which would total 60,000,000,000 gold marks; Germany has paid less than 11,000,000,000 Quarks in cash and goods. The German monetary debacle is not con nected with reparations. The collapse was never more rapid than since August, 1922, ■when France decided to suspend practically all the cash payments. M. Saint Brice points out that coal deliveries were short by 21,000,000 tons in August, 1922, which was the result of deliberate fraud ; therefore, it is the right and the duty of France, as a duped creditor, to enter the mining centres and control deliveries. The Ruhr operations have no other aim. COAL STRIKE SPREADING. BERLIN, January 21. * The masters of the iron and steel industry have decided to break off commercial relations with France, Belgium, and Luxemburg during the occupation of the Ruhr. '■ Jour big commercial firms in Dortmund have'closed, because they cannot get money pay their employees, as the French occupy the banks. .. The miners left the pits in the Recklinghausen area, and 4000 left the Bonifacius mine, as a protest against the managers' imprisonment. The strike is spreading to finally private pits in the Essen region. The transport strike is getting worse. Traffic has eased to Dortmund, but is run nine in other sections of the occupied area. LONDON, January 22. A general strike of miners in the Ruhr has commenced. PARIS, January 22. 1 Le Petit Parisien’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 Parisien states; “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 the Ruhr from Prussia.” BERLIN, January 22. The Lokal Anzeiger states that a conference of the 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 milliard* of marks. All the other German unions have endorsed the railwaymen’s decision. THYSSENS RELEASE DEMANDED. 1 BERLIN, January 22. Following on the miners and railvvayWen’s resolution, the Ruhr miners descen•‘ded into the pits, but refused to work. The railwaymen also struck. It is expected that the strikes will spread conjsiderably. 1 , ' The Frankfurter Zeitung says that railway traffic was resumed south of Dortmund, on the French undertaking that the soldiers patrolling the station should Hot have bavonets. A delegation of workmen from Herr Tlivsse.n’s works informed General Simon that, if H on- Thyssen was not released 54,000 workers would »trike immediately. PARIS. January 23. A meeting of t-be Labour leaders at Bochum decided to inform the French that the German Labourites were free men. and would never be the slaves of foreigners. , DRASTIC CONTROL SUGGESTED. ' LONDON. Januarv 23. The Westminster Gazette's Paris cor.respondent says that the French mora- ; tori urn plan lias been communicated to the Reparations Commission. It provides for a moratorium for two years. Germany will pav £125.000.000 (furnishable by the industrialists!, with an additional £25.000,00° for ihe 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 LABOUR RESOLUTION. BERLIN, January 20. Vorwaerts states that a conference of the principal Socialist and Labour bodies unanimously' decided that it was the duty of Labour to give all appropriate support to the resistance being offered to the Franco-Belgian invasion, though the fight against reaction will be simultaneously and energetically resumed. CONDITIONS IN GERMANY. LONDON, January 22. The correspondent of The Times, in describing conditions in Berlin, says: “It is no unusual occurrence for a band of Fascisti or students to enter a. crowded restaurant and demand the passports of the diners, thus placing foreigners in an unhappy plight. The Allied Commission of Control is doing only' routine work.” Butter and eggs are unobtainable at breakfast, and the French terms for these dishes have disappeared from the menu. French wines and liqueurs are not served. The dancing establishments are closing. The jostling of suspected foreigners has been a feature of a number of dances. In many cases the restaurants are also closing. The feeling against foreigners is becoming more embittered daily'.” CABINET CONSULTS FOCH. PARIS, January 22. Marshal F'och attended a Cabinet meeting on Sunday night, when the Ruhr position w 7 as discussed. GERMANS DEMAND INDEMNITY. BERLIN. January 22. Herr Mayer, Ambassador at Paris, has sent a protest to M. Poincare against the arrest of the mine owners and the shooting of a German by a French sentry 7. He demands the punishment- of the sentry and the payment of an indemnity 7. A FRESH DEFAULT. PARIS, January 22. Representative Reick refused to attend the Franco-German Arbitration Tribunal, which consequently did not meet. The president of the tribunal stated that in view of the voluntary absence of the German representative, France would ask that this be technically declared a new 7 German default, and she would consequently request that the German Government appoint a new arbitrator. If Berlin did not comply within a month, the matter would be referred,, to the Council of the League of Nations, which would appoint a neutral arbitrator in accordance with the Versailles Treaty.AMERICA’S ATTITUDE. NEW YORK, January 22. According to the Washington ' correspondent of the New York Times, an official intimation has been made that the United States will bring pressure to bear 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 7. GERMAN SHIPBUILDING SUBSIDY. LONDON, January 20. Tiie Daily Mail's Paris correspondent, says : “A fresh instance of the robbery of many thousands of marks from the French Treasury by the Gorinan Government and the shipping magnates is provided by the German shipbuilding subsidy. After the German* had given up all but 500,000 tons of shipping to the Allies, the German Treasury provided a subsidy of 12,000,000.000 marks, which was then worth £48.000,000, to build 2,500,000 tons. Sixteen million pounds had been paid, when a heavy fall in the mark oecuired Tlie shipping barons determined, though they were getting one-tliird of the new fleet from the State, not to bear the loss. Accordingly thev sued the Treasury before a secret arbitration tribunal to make up the difference due to the fall in the currency, which thev, with the coal and steel barons, had a large share in bringing about. The tribunal ordered the Treasury to my the additional 18,000,000.000 marks which were then worth £3.000.000. Still the shin owners and builders were not content. A* the mark was sliding farther they inserted a sliding scale in the agreement. with the result that- the Treasury naid 32.000.000.000 marks in the first four instalment* instead of 12 000.000.000. Last month the Reparations Commission heard of this strange operation, and asked the Government to find means to relieve the Treasury of these charges. Despite the warning, the Treesnrv naul the shipping fw ’«+ •'"’other 15.000.000.000 marks, or £600.000.” PASSIVE R kVTSTANCE. PARIS, January 23. M. Po incare reported to Cabinet a satisfactory abatement, of the general strike situation in the Ruhr. Advices from Dusseldorf state that three arrests were made for insults to the occupation troops. The -population is calm and normal. Working at the Recklinghausen and Moilexsohact mines has been resumed. BERLIN. January 23. Advices from Essen state that passive resistance on the part of the German pos tal workers is exemplified m the decision of the telephonists to disconnect the telenhones used by the French Mission. The French occupied the telephone and cable room at the Essen Post Office with the obieet. of preventing tampering with the wires in the event of a strike.

Owing to the failure of the efforts of the Workers’ Council at the Thyssen mines at Hamborn to secure the immediate release of Herr Thyssen and the officials, the workers struck. The Stinnes employees were similarly unsuccessful at Dusseldorf, and consequently struck. Over 100,000 men are affected. The private banks at Aix-la-Chapelle are closed, as business is impossible owing to the seizure of the cash. GERMANY" RENEWS PROTESTS. WASHINGTON, January 23. The German Embassy has given publicity to two Notes which Germany sent to the Allied Governments protesting against the alleged French violation of the Rhineland Convention, as well as of the Treaty of Versailles. They claim that the French occupation exceeds every stipulation of the Convention, and that the Rhineland Commission placed itself at the disposal of the »611011 and Belgian Governments in defiance of International Law. The German Government, therefore, has informed its officials in the occupied territory that these ordinances need not be complied with. Germany s Note also protests against the arrest of officials. FR A NCO-BELGI AN BOYCOTT. BERLIN, January 23. The boycott of the French and Belgians is spreading rapidly. A committee has been formed to ensure that the boycott is rigidly enforced in hotels and boardinghouses. At the committee’s instigation the shopkeepers are displaying notices in their windows stating that no goods will be supplied to French or Belgians until the troops are withdrawn from the Ruhr. Many French and Belgians are preparing to leave Germany at the hotelkeepers request. GERMAN ORDERS REFUSED. LONDON, January 23. Coal exporters at Hull continue to be inundated with telegrams from Germany asking them to sell cargoes of Yorkshire coal against cash deposited in English banks. The Hull coal merchants are not accepting the German orders at the moment. A leading exporter said that if Britain consented to export coal to replace the Ruhr coal she would be helping Germany to continue her opposition to France, which would have good grounds to object. Moreover, German buyers would be unable to guarantee payment. EXPELLING GERMAN OFFICIALS. LONDON. January 23. The Essen correspondent of The Times says: “Great concern is felt in British military circles at Cologne over the possible developments in consequence of the French orders for the expulsion of German officials in the British zone, which the Germans have ignored. Hitherto the British military police have participated in making arrests, but now they are not permitted to take part. The Germans are asking how the British can allow the expulsions. The prolongation of the situation is regarded as impossible. Either Britain will have to acquiesce fully and support the French plans regarding the future of the Ruhr and the Rhineland, or the infliction of penalties must cease, or the British will be obliged to withdraw their forces from the Rhine and give the French a free hand. It is not surprising to learn that under these circumstances General Godlev has decided not to permit further expulsions or arrests in the British zone until further instructions are received from London, which have been urgently requested. 160,000 MEN OUT. LONDON, Januarv 24. Berlin telegrams state that 160,000 workers are now striking in tho Ruhr. BERLIN, January 24. Reports of important movements of Reicbswehr troops are semiofficially denied. It is stated that the troops are on garrison duty, and that no concentration of any kind has occurred. Advices from Essen state that the refusal of telephonists to make connections for the French led to many arrests in outlying places, where strikes are threatened. The Fsscii postal officials passed a resolution demandin' 7 the withdrawal of troops from the Post Office, and refusing to work under French bayonets. Tbe railwav strike at Olierhausen has crippled traffic north of the Ruhr. A number of officials who refused to operate Belgian troops trains were arrested. On the other hand, the train service from Essen to Dortmund and Dusseldorf is complete. WORKERS NOT UNANIMOUS. PARIS January 24. Le Journal says: “Indecision characterises the Ruhr workers over the strike question. The Communists do not support a strike, believing that this would only play into the hands of the Ruhr magnates. The Social Democrats are awaiting the turn of events. They are prepared to work if they are convinced that the occupation is not directed against the proletariat, while the Polish miners are frankly pro-French; On the contrary, the Roman Catholic trade unions, which are rabidly nationalistic, support the strike movement.” LONDON. January 24 The Morning Post’s Paris correspondent gays: “The latest reports confirm the view that the general strike in the Ruhr is a fiasco, there being only serious stoppages at two or three pits. The Ruhr miners are not comparable with the miners of other countries. They work on an individualistic output basis ; therefore, they are less prone to yield to agitators or to political influence. The railwaymen struck in some places, but the trains are: now' running freely. Some are in charge of French railwaymen and soldiers. The French are facing the German resistance

in the Ruhr with the same intrepid patience which was shown by France during the worst days of the war. Official quarters are of opinion that Germany will tire of passive resistance before F ranee will. The latter intends to hang on to the Ruhr, and even to separate it from the West of Germany if necessary, which would ruin the German coal and iron owner.?.” Mr Renwiek, the Daily Chronicle’s correspondent at Cologne, denies the statement that a general strike has been attempted and failed in the Ruhr. He says : “The workers are playing a waiting game. Much will depend upon the court martial to-morrow of Herr Thyssen and five other industrialists, who are confined in Mavence Prison, each in a separate cell.” IMPORTED COAL MINERS. PRAGUE, January 24. Many Czecho-Slovakian miners are being released for work in France. COAL MINERS RESUMING. PARIS, January 24. Herr Thyssen’s workers resumed after yesterday’s protest strike, which was designed to show their unity. Sixty-five thousand men in the Stinnes mine are also working. DRASTIC FTNES ON OWNERS. BERLIN, January 24. The court martial of the German industrial employers and officials has opened at Mayenee. The press of all nations is represented. French troops with fixed bayonets were stationed inside and outside the court. Herr Grimm, counsel for the accused, challenged the court’s competence, arguing that the occupation of the Ruhr was economic rather than military. The president overruled this objection, and proceeded to interrogate Fritz Thyssen, the chief director of his father's works. Herr Thyssen answered smartly, and exclaimed : “I am a German, and I can only obey the German laws.” The other defendants made similar statements. The prosecuting counsel admitted that there were extenuating circumstances, as the real culprits were to he found in Berlin. He asked the court to impose fines. The court adjourned till the afternoon. PARIS, January 24. The court martial fined the Ruhr magnates sums ranging from 5000 to 224,000 francs. When the court martial resumed, Herr Grimm, who is a well-known pacifist, and who, as a conscientious objector, was excused from military service in war time, acknowledged the court’s courtesy. He pleaded that it was a case of force majeure as far as the accused were concerned. The court recorded a fine of 5000 francs against Herr Thyssen, and fines ranging from 6000 to 224,000 against five francs. BRITAIN’S POSITION. LONDON, January 24. The Cabinet considered a further protest from the German Ambassador against the occupation of the .Ruhr. It is understood that the British Government intends, as far as possible, to adhere to its policy of neutrality. The Cabinet dealt- with the French action in arresting a German official at Cologne, who was subsequently released. Communications on the subject passed with the French Government-, and elicited a reply that the latter will do its utmost to avoid doing anything in the Britishoccupied area which is likely to embarrass the British Government. Mr Bonar Law has not received the terms of the reported new French plan for a moratorium for Germany. ITALY’S OFFERS REJECTED. BERLIN, January 24. With reference to the reported efforts at mediation in the Ruhr, which are believed to have been made by Italy, it is semi-officially stated that negotiations are impossible while the F ranco-Belgian troops are illegally occupying the vital economic centre of Germany, tier many may be a heap of ruins when the enterprise terminates; therefore, it is impossible to estimate her capacity afterwards. The press states that Italy has made repeated offers of intervention in the Ruhr, but both London and Washington rejected the suggestions. Germany replied that so long as the French and Belgians remain in the Ruhr intervention is impossible. ROME, January 24. At a meeting of the Cabinet, Signor Mussolini, referring to the Ruhr, declared that the Government would" take most active steps to avoid still greater complications, and to produce as soon as possible a calmer atmosphere in order to permit a renewed discussion of the problems of reparations and debt. STATEMENT OF POLICY. ROME, January 24. Signor Mussolini informed the Cabinet that the Italian experts in the Ruhr had been ordered merely to participate in economic and financial deliberations, and to abstain from political discussions. Italy concurred in the Customs control and the occupation of forest lands, but asked France to specify the scope of the occupation. France replied that the occupation was not military, and was merely designed to protect the technical commissions. Regarding the reports of Italian intervention from Berlin and Paris, he said a literal offer of mediation was not made, and could not be proposed, as it- would be a grave mistake to expose an Italian political failure. Italy had not failed. He would remind Germany of the grave perils attendant on the impasse in which she persisted in remaining. Also, Italy, in a friendly spirit, had drawn the attention of France to the political, labour, and eco-

nomic complications which the occupation of the Ruhr might cause. Italy could not do more or change her attitude. WHERE IS THE LEAGUE? LONDON, July 2<>. Sir John Simon, speaking at Oxford, urged that the Ruhr crisis should be referred to the Jjeague of Nations. He said : "British Liberals do not forget that France lias been twice invaded and devastated in 50 years, and she is entitled to security, which can only be secured by joint action by all the nations of the world.” TROUBLE AT MUNICH. BERLIN, January 23. the excitement in Bavaria over the Ruhr occupation is unabated. The German Government has notified France that the Bavarian Government cannot any longer guarantee the safety of the French Ambassador. There was a big demonstration to-day before the Entente Commission’s hotel. Ihe Munich hotel employees struck iwitil all the F rench and Belgian representatives had left. BERLIN, January 24. The French and Belgian Commissioners at Munich have gone to Mayenee in consequence of the hostile demonstration. January 25. Thanks to the Imperial Government’s intervention, the Bavarian authorities have compelled the hotels to permit the Franco-Belgian Control Commission to remain in their hotel quarters. Light and water supplies, which were cut off, have been restored. NEW FRENCH SCHEME. PARIS, January 25. The F’rench moratorium scheme demands a 25 per cent, mortgage of all real property in Germany and a quarter of the shares of all corporations. It suggests that the Reparations Commission should be empowered to hand over the German railways to private ownership; further, that Germany shall raise, prior to February 15, when the offer will expire, an internal loan of three milliards of gold marks. HELP FROM HOLLAND. AMSTERDAM, January 24. Tlie National Trade Union Federation voted 150,000 florins, representing 2J per cent, of the Dutch unions’ capital, to assist the Ruhr workers. FRANCE QUITE UNMOVED. BERLIN, January 24. The French Foreign Office returned t,he German Note protesting against the shooting of a German by a French sentry at Langenberg, saying that it is impossible to accept a Note couched in such terms. The French reply to the German protest against the arrest of the Ruhr industrialists maintains that all the measurei of the occupation authorities are completely legal, being the result of an infringement of the Versailles Treaty. Th* French Government reserves the right to take all the sanctions which are necessitated by the attitude of the German Gov eminent and the German officials and nationals. Advices from Essen slate that the French are issuing a news sheet in German for distribution among the population. French Customs officials have arrived in the Ruhr, and the establishment of a Customs cordon will soon be completed. LEAVING THE FIELD. WASHINGTON, January 24. The Secretary for War <Mr Weeks) announced that all the American army officers, who are acting as observers with the French and Belgian armies in the Ruhr, have been withdrawn. It is learned that, while the United States might be interested in invasionary movements, it prefers to cheek all participatory acts which might be construed as acquiescence in the military invasion of Germany. The Administration is showing a disposition to fight the criticism of its European policy. The Secretary for State (Mr Hughes) is drafting a letter for the Senate, contradicting the charges that Mr Boyden’s official staff on the Reparations Commission is being maintained at expensive cost. EXIT AMERICA. BERLIN, January 25. Reuter's Coblenz correspondent reports that the American Army of Occupation left Germany this afternoon. The Commander-in-Chief, in a message to the troops, referred to tlie American Army’s deep affection for the Allies, and expressed the hope that the good conduct of the troops would efface all thought of bitterness on the part of the population. CONFLICTING VERSIONS. PARIS, January 25. The success of Germany's policy of pa* sive resistance can be judved by the fact that 73,000 tons of coal have gone to France and Belgium during the last 11 days, whereas 67.000 tons went daily liefore the occupation of the Ruhr. LONDON, January 25. Paris messages admit that the position in the Ruhr has become more serious, chiefly owing to the declaration of a general strike bv the German railwaymen, which was decided upon bv trade union meetings on Wednesday night following on the court-martial’s sentences oil tho coal owners. The strike was declared for midnight, but it actually became effective earlier as the trains reached their destinations. PARIS, January 25. Advices to-dav claim, with the ex cep tion of some delay at a few stations, the strikes were ineffective both in the Kutir and the Rhineland.