THE RUHR SITUATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16114, 1 May 1923, Page 3

THE RUHR SITUATION.

LAWLESSNESS AT BOCHUM

THIEF RUNS AMOK

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian arid N.Z Cable Association.)

(Received May 1, 11.55 a.m.) COLOGNE, April 30. Tho state of lawlessness in Ruhr, as the result of the abolition of armed police, is vividly illustrated' by the developments at Bochum. A detective pursuing two thieves waa shot in the abdomen, after which hie assailants fled, on© taking refuge in the burgomasters .house. ; on} the roof, whence;;' he repeatedly•/ fired' the crowd'. 'Tho police were powerless. The fii'o brigade were summoned, but before the driver could alight he was shot dead'. The house was eventually surrounded and the criminal, finding escape impossible, committed! suicide. The second 1 thief was captured.

GERMANY'S PROPOSALS

PAYMENT BY INSTALMENTS.

(The Times.) (Received May 1, 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, April 30

The Times' Berlin correspondent says Germany's new reparations offer will be despatched immediately after a meeting between the Chancellor and Premiers of the Federal States on Tuesday. It is nearly identical with tho Bergmann scheme, proposing to pay twenty thousand million gold marks down, to be raised by means of an international loan, and two instalments each of five thousand millions. Tho proposal involves a guarantee from German industrialists and would envisage some form of mutual Franco-German disarmament.

Industrialists informed the Chancellor that if the productive capacity of the country was sharply strained, it was just possible to manage the burdens imposed on industry under tho Bergmann proposals. This involves increasing the hours of labor and otherwise lowering social standards of the workei-s. Such an attempt would probably invoke a clash, coming at a moment when workmen were about to agitate for a very largo increase of wages, and to demonstrate adhesion to the principle of the eight-hour day.

MORE COAL MINES SEIZED

iAustralian and N.Z cable Association.) (Received) May 1, 1-5 p.m.) BERLIN, April 30. The Fi'enrh have seized' four more coal mines at Gladbeck, Recklinghausen and Gelsenkirchcn.