RUHR BLOCADE

Southland Times, Issue 18972, 20 June 1923, Page 5

RUHR BLOCADE

RING-FENCING AREA COMBATING PASSIVE RESISTANCE (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright). (The Times). LONDON, June 18. The Times’s Cologne correspondent reports that the tightening of the blockade and the further isolation of the Ruhr is the latest method of applying Franco-Belgian pressure to combat pas ' resistance. The Rhineland Commission . .. ordered that no permits are to be issued to officials in the occupied territory to visit unoccupied territory, except for conferences, which the Allied authorities consider urgently necessary in the interests of the population. Thus officials are prevented from personal communication with their principals. Another ordinance forbids the present augmented tramway service because it competes with the trains, while, as a deterrent to sabotage, it is provided that the police, railway and judicial officials can be requisitioned to repair damage done to railways. SENTENCES ON MINING DIRECTORS. (Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) LONDON, June 18. (Received June 19, 5.5 p.m.) A Dusseldorf telegram says that a courtmartial at Werden sentenced five mining directors, at present in unoccupied Germany, to five years each and fines totalling 1,377,000,000,000 marks. A GERMAN PROTEST. ALLEGATIONS OF FRENCH ATROCITIES. WASHINGTON, June 18. (Received June 19, 8.5 p.m.). W. Feeldt delivered a German Note to the State Department, vigorously protesting against the so-called incessant French policy of terrorism in the occupied territories, and declaring responsibility for existing conditions, lies with the French alone. The document recites details of the killing of civilians by a French patrol. MARK’S SENSATIONAL DROP. 3083 TO A PENNY. BERLIN, June 18. (Received June 19, 5.5 p.m.) At one time to-day the mark fell to 740,000 to the pound, being 3083 a penny, instead of the pre-war one to a shilling. WILY AUSTRIANS. RUSH TO GERMANY. LONDON, June 18. The Morning Post’s Vienna correspondent says that the catastrophic fall of the mark caused an inrush of Austrians into Germany, the passports office in Vienna being besieged by applicants. Austrian holiday resorts are almost empty as Austrians can live in Germany for less than one-third that it costs at home. German watering places, such as Wesbaden and Kissingen are full of middle-class Austrians who are unable to afford the prices asked at home. The Austrian authorities, are urging their people not to abuse German hospitality, and to recall that the German frontier had to be closed on a former occasion.

FRENCH REPLY TO BRITAIN. BRUSSELS, June 18. The Government’s reply to the British questionaire will be sent before the weekend. It is understood that the Belgian view is that cessation of German passive resistance must be marked by the withdrawal of orders - forbidding officials, employers and workers to work under FrancoBelgian control. If this is done the Ruhr regime will revert to what it was at the beginning, namely the control of industries conducted by engineers under whatever military protection necessary. Modifications would be made at the same time in the present customs regime.