The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING, Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1923. GENERAL MANGIN’S MOVES.

Southland Times, Issue 18962, 8 June 1923, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING, Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1923. GENERAL MANGIN’S MOVES.

Every 4 now and then there appears on the surface some new piece of evidence to remind the public that the Ruhr puzzle is not merely a matter of reparation payments. General Mangin in recent days has been an active advocate of the proposals put forward by Dr Dorten, who seeks to detach the Rhineland from Germany. General Mangin was involved in a little business of this sort in 1919, when it was made clear that the French were ready to foment a revolution in the Rhineland so that its separation from Germany would appear to have come from the inhabitants. This plot, of which the French Government must have had some knowledge, was exposed to President Wilson by General Pershing in the following letter which must be quoted in full if the public is to appreciate its significance:

My dear President, —Have just had a message from the General Commanding the Army of Occupation in which he informs me as follows: This morning General Mangin, commanding French army at Mayence, sent a colonel from his staff to the headquarters of General Liggett at Coblenz to ask him what would be our attitude towards a political revolution on the west bank of the Rhine aiming at the foundation of a Rhineland Republic free and independent of Germany. He asked him what would be the American attitude towards a new republic of this sort. The staff officer declared that the French had with them fifty deputies whom they were ready to send into the American sector to help to start the revolution. The exact sense of the meaning of the word deputies was not very clear, but one thing was certain—that they must be Frenchmen. General Liggett quite rightly refused to examine the proposition, and I approved nis action. Have given him instructions so as not to allow access to our sector to political agitators, whatever may bs the quarter from which they may claim to have orders. (Signed) J. J. PERSHING. This communication was placed before M. Clemenceau by Mr Wilson without comment —it did not require any—and the next move was the unexplained removal of General Mangin from his command. The French soldier did not conceive that plot by himself, and certainly he did not act without the knowledge that the Government looked for the results he was seeking. His error was. in disclosing the position to the American headquarters. In these days when the French and the Belgians are said to be consulting over measures for the application of additional pressure on Germany, these old intrigues have a special interest, and it is a noticeable fast that the letter a few weeks ago was given to the public in France. France may talk about reparation payments, but the suspicion that it is territory she is really seeking is daily growing stronger.