REPARATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3614, 19 June 1923, Page 17

REPARATIONS.

STATEMENT

BY DR CUNO.

BERLIN, Jane 10. Dr Cuno, after conferring with the industrial magnates and the Labour leaders, told a Press respresentative that France had complained that Germany was trying to evade the Versailles Treaty, but the treaty itself mentioned the possibility of easing the reparations to meet Germany s ability to pay. The proposal for international arbitration to decide this had emanated originally from the Reparations Commission. As soon as the reparations demanded approximated Germany’s capacity to pay, the whole of Germany would be prepared to make sacrifices to meet the demand. The Government would take all the powers necessary to see that industry carried a fair burden. After Germany’s last Note the world must decide for peace or destruction. The Government would no nothing against passive resistance in the Ruhr. It could not if it would. Up to the present the French had shot 50 Germans in the Ruhr, sentenced 450 to imprisonment, and deported 50,000 people from the occupied area. Germany was ready to give every guarantee to France for neace on equal terms; but the Ruhr, Rhine, and Soar districts were priceless, and indivisible from Germany. TWO FRENCH OFFICERS SHOT DEAD. _ PARIS, June 10. Three Germans who were walking in the streets of Dortmund shot dead two French officers. The shooting of two Frenchmen at Dortmund has aroused great anger in France. One message states that the shooting followed a street brawl between soldiers and civilians, but the London Daily Telegraph’s Dusseldorf correspondent says that two French non-commissioned officers were walking the streets at 10.30 at night, when they were attacked by three Germans armed with revolvers who opened fire, killing one Frenchman outright with a bullet through the head. The other was wounded, blit lived only a few moments. Other Germans nearby ’ raised the alarm, but too late to catch the assassins. Their descriptions, however, were given, and it should be possible to identify- them. BERLIN, June 11. The French are taking drastic steps in Dortmund in consequence of two non-eem-missioned officers having been killed in the street. The Assistant Mayor has been arrested, and a reward of 100,000,000 marks has been offered for the arrest of the dead Frenchmen’s assailants. Curfew has also been rigorously enforced, and any German found in the streets will be liable to lie shot immediately. Five German civilians were thus shot dead on Sunday night. French troops have occupied the Town Hall, and hundreds of arrests have been effected. UNFAVOURABLE TRADE BALANCE. LONDON, June 11. The Times Berlin correspondent says that the Reichstag debate on food prices an 1 wages ended inconclusively. The Socialists and Communists illustrated how the standard of living had been lowered owing to the tuiiu.e .o adapt wages to prices. They alleged that tho German worker works five hours for a pound of margarine, while the British worker works 20 minutes for a pound of meat. They made similar comparisons in regard to other commodities. Ilerr Becker, Minister of Economic Affairs, held out no hope of further attempts to stabilise the mark so long as there is an unfavourable trade balance (exces; of imports over exports), which is computed at £100,000,000 for the year. This problem had also been discussed by

a Reichstag committee of inquiry, whose report repealed that German industry conducts its business with gold marks while paying its yvages and taxes in depreciated paper marks. This explains why German labour is restless and why the State finances are in hopeless disorder. STERN MEASURES ADOPTED. PARIS, June 12. General Degoutte arrested tyvo members of the Dortmund Town Council and tyvo German police officers. He has given the toyvn 24 hours in which to deliver the persons yvho yvere responsible for the murder of the French non-commissioned officers. Under a threat of further sanctions, the French have seized the Dortmund branch of the Reichsbank and tne municipal offices. SIX GERMANS KILLED. PARIS, June 12. Advices from Dusseldorf state that a French patrol was threatened in the streets on Monday night. After giving due warning the patrol fired on a crowd of German civilians who refused to disperse. Six were killed and three yvounded. RUHR SABOTAGE INCREASING. PARIS, June 12. Sabotage is increasing in the Ruhr. Several bombs exploded on the railway m Dusseldorf district, cutting up the line, and in one instance throwing the engine off the track. . . The Inter-Allied Commission m Loolenz has decided to impose a tax of 25 per cent, of the value of the goods mported into the occupied territory from Germany. FASCISTI DISSATISFACTION. ROME, June 13 There was an acrid debate the Senate over the personal responsimhty for the small quota of 10 per cent, ot German reparations which was assignee to Italy. Count Sforza yvas accused ot having weakly accepted such terms. Count Sforza declared that the suggestion came from ex-President Wilson, who originally proposed only 6 per cent. The Fascisti Senators were dissatisfied with the explanation, and bitterly blamed Count Sforza for being too conciliatory and the Allied statesmen for being too parsimonious towards Italy. They staled that, while Italy might have been content with 10 per cent, of the original £133,000,000 reparations bill, she would never consent to that percentage of 30 milliards, if Germany ever paid that amount. * BELGUIM DETERMINED. BRUSSELS, June 12. M. Jasper, during a debate m the Chamber of Deputies in the Foreign Office Estimates, said that Germany, while not paying reparations, was spending millions of gold marks in America on propaganda. “ Belgium,” he said, “ entered the Ruhr not against her will, but because her interests demanded it. She will evacuate the Ruhr only when she receives her reparations. Belgium regards the V ersaffles Treaty as her charter, and she has decided to execute its provisions till she obtains satisfaction Belgium has used every opportunity to bring France and Great Britain together, and she still hopes for Allied unity. Belgium’s insistence on the abandonment of passive resistance in the Ruhr does not exclude the possibility of interallied diplomatic negotiations over the German Note, but in our desire to restore Allied unity we must not permit Germany to believe that Belgium is in the least disposed to abandon her rights. further information sought. LONDON, June 14. Lord Curzon, as the result of conferences with the French Ambassador, has drafted a memorandum covering tho points on which the British Government desires specific information. This was presented to Count de Saint Aulairo, who transmitted it to Paris last night. The general impression is that the British Government is anxious to secure the precise definition of what France undei stands by the demand for the cessation of passive resistance in the Ruhr, and the manner in which the French and Belgian Government would propose in certaitf contingencies to vary the present form of the Ruhr occupation—military as well as economic. It is considered probable that Mr Balawin will get M. Poincare soon to view the situation more considerately. It is apparent that every effort is being made to keep the matter open in the hope of securing a settlement. TROUBLE AT RECKLINGHAUSEN. LONDON, June 14. Tho Daily Express’s Berlin correspondent states” that the French have taken rio-orous measures at Recklinghausen, where a French sentry was shot dead. Lwo Germans were shot for disobeying the curfew order, and over 100 persons have been arrested. It is alleged that a French patrol fired at lighted windows. The economic situation in the Ruhr is crowing daily worse. The Gelsenkirchen furnaces will soon be compelled to close owing to lack of fuel. SECRET MILITARY SOCIETIES. LONDON, June 14. The Times Berlin correspondent reports that 27 Monarchists were arrested at Magdeburg in connection with the cultivation of anti -Republican activities among the Reichswehr. The whole of Germany is honeycombed with secret military societies with Monarchist aims. BRITISH LABOUrTpARTY’S VIEWS. LONDON, June 14. The Parliamentary Labour Party passed a resolution welcoming the Anglo-Russian setlement along the lines the party had advocated, and hoping the Government would also endeavour to bring the dispute

between the Ailies and Germany to the stage of friendly negotiations. The party is strongly of trie opinion that Germany's latest offer provides solid ground for nego tiations, and presses the Government to use every effort to dissuade France, Belgium, and Germany from submission t.o any demands imposing unconditional suirender on any country concerned. FRANTIC DAY ON THE BOURSE. BERLIN, June 14. To-day has been a frantic day cn the Bourse. Marks fell to half a million to the pound sterling and 112,000 to the dollar. The only reason occurring to the financial experts is supposed to be the disposition of the British Government to compromise with F’rance, renderin:> the situation more unfavourable to Germany. There is also a fear that Anglo F'rench discussion may continue for weeks, which will mean disaster owing to Germany’s economic condition.

GERMAN SABOTAGE INCREASING. BERLIN, June 14. Delegates from all parties in the unoccupied territory met on the Ruhr border and decided against giving up passive resistance. The attacks on French soldiers and sabotage are increasing. The F rench measures of surveillance are therefore stricter, and there are numerous arrests of people found in the streets during the night. The French confiscated 50 milliards of marks in the Reichsbank at Dortmund. FRANCE AND BRITAIN. PARIS, June 15. Cabinet considered the British memorandum, which asks (1) what France means exactly by passive resistance, otherwise what Germany must do to ensure French goodwill; (21 what France will do if Germany agrees to cease passive resistance; (0) will F'rance return to the regime projected for the Ruhr before passive resist anee entailed the present organisation. The F'rench reply to the British questionaire is ready, but before being sent to London the document will be submitted to the Belgian Government for perusa 1 , as the British Government has forwarded a similar memorandum to Belgium. FINES AND IMPRISONMENT. BERLIN, June 15. The French occupation authorities have imposed the following sentences on mineowners for non-delivery of coal: —Herr Kellerman, five years in prison and a fine of 170 milliards of marks; Herr Friedmann, fine of 57 milliards of marks; Herr Falks, five years in prison and a fine of 43 milliards of marks. FRENCH SENTRY SHOT. PARIS, June 15. A French sentry has been shot dead in Herne, where the Germans handed over to the French authorities a miner believed to be the assassin. Plans have been discovered of a secret organisation which is pledged to kill nine Frenchmen or Belgians as a reprisal for the execution of the German saboteur schlageter, THE BRITISH MEMORANDUM. BRUSSELS, June 15. M. Theunis and M. Jaspar continue to control foreign affairs during the political crisis caused by the resignation of the Theunis Cabinet. It is expected that they will form a new Government, and that little delay is likely to ensue regarding the F rench-Belgian reply to the British memorandum. ROME, June 15. The Fascisti press opposes the French demand for a cessation of passive resistance in the Ruhr before negotiations, and approves Mr Baldwin’s line with France. GERMAN DISHONESTY. LONDON, June 15. Lord Derby, speaking at the Conservative Club’s meeting, said that his greatest wish was .to see Britain working in as close co-operation with France as during war time, for along that read lay the path way to peace and prosperity. The reparations problem certainly seemed insoluble, thanks to German dishonesty. It seemed more difficult now than when the Versailles Treaty was signed. “ I hope by the exhibition of that firmness which is no essential we shall, with France’s co-opera-tion, find a way of making Germany pay, not merely offer promises. That, would do much to cure the terrible evil of unemployment in Britain.” CONFIDENCE IN M. POINCARE. PARIS, June 16. After a long debate, terminating at half-past 2 this morning, the Chamber of Deputies voted confidence in M. Poincare by 356 to 162. The resolution deprecated a campaign of violence and derision as tending to disrupt the moral unity of the country and repudiated a compromise with anti-constitutional or revolutionary parties. M. Poincare said: ,‘The German Government encouraged assassination and sabotage. We are thus forced to increase and prolong the pressure. The colours captured from France in 1870 have not yet been returned.”