IN AGREEMENT

Southland Times, Issue 19102, 21 November 1923, Page 5

IN AGREEMENT

BRITAIN AND FRANCE CRISIS REGARDED AS ENDED RUPTURE OF ENTENTE EVADED GENERAL RELIEF EXPRESSED. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z* Cable Association.) LONDON, November 20. (Received November 20, 11.30 p.m.). It is cGcially announced that the Conference of Ambassadors, after protected sitrsags, reached an agreement, which has been submitted to the respective Governments* concerned for confirmation. In well-informed circles, it is believed the agreement provides for serving a stiff note of protest to Germany without defining sanctions which will be discussed later. If Germany does not give satisfaction, the Ambassadors are agreed in regard to the resumption of inter-Allied military control of Germany. They are still deliberating in regard to the return of the ex-Crown Prince. [A previous cable stated that the Conference of Ambassadors had assembled to consider the demands by France, viz.:—(l) The ex-Crown Prince’s extradition and internment for life. (2) The complete reestablishment of inter-Allied military control at Berlin. France proposed, first, that the Allies should make a joint demarche to Berlin; second, that if the Allies were agreed, sanctions should later, individually sr collectively, be decided upon; and third, ;hat if the Allies did not agree, each Governnent should be allowed to take the measures it thought fit.] A DELICATE SITUATION. SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. NO ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS. LONDON, November 20. (Received November 20, 11.30 p.m.). News of an agreement being reached by the Ambassadors’ Conference was received in London with great relief. The situation has been recognised as the most critical yet developed. The existence of the Entente was seriously imperilled. The crisis particularly overshadowed the election during the week-end. The difficulty will not be settled until to-day. The Ambassadors yesterday telephoned their Governments to await instructions. The Paris correspondent of the Daily Chronicle says that there was some very plain speaking at the Conference. It is understood France was told that any attempt to impose additional sanctions or occupy fresh territory, fcould meet with Britain’s strong disapprobation. Representatives of Japan and Italy strongly supported this view. THE CHASM BRIDGED. THE THREAT OF FRENCH ISOLATION. LONDON, November 20. (Received November 20, 1 a.m.). The Paris correspondent of the Daily Express states that the agreement means that the chasm between France and Britain has been bridged, thanks to the skill of Earl Crewe (British Ambassador at Paris) and M. Cambon. Public opinion in England was staggered by the sudden threat to end the Entente. The prospect also came as a shock to France, where a sense of isolation was undoubtedly produced by the eleventh hour suggestion that Belgium might take the British rather than the French viewpoint. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says that the really material issue, namely, sanctions, has not been solved, only shelved. This is the prevailing view in French quarters, where it is argued that owing to the absence of joint sanctions, Berlin will not fully comply with the demands, so that soon the question will be raised anew in a more acute form. THE NEWS IN AMERICA. GOOD EFFECT APPARENT. NEW YORK, November 19. (Received November 20, 11 .m.). Sterling, which opened at 426 cents, rapidly showed the effect of favourable news, chiefly that a rupture of the Entente had been averted, and rose to 436 cents, when the day’s trading ended. THE FRENCH ATTITUDE. M POINCARE SUPPORTED. PARIS, November 19. (Received November 20, 10.30 p.m.). Cabinet unanimously approved of M. Poincare’s attitude during the negotiations at the Conference of Ambassadors. A final decision now depends on the views of the Allied Government’s on the agreement, in principle, reached by the Conference. A Quai d’Orsay communique explains that M. Poincare’s declaration that France will not evacuate occupied territories before the Versailles Treaty has been completely executed, referred to occupied territories on the left bank of the Rhine and bridge-heads and did not apply to the Ruhr in which connection no decision could be taken without a previous FrancoBelgian agreement. 10-HOUR DAY IN RUHR. PROPOSAL CAUSES BITTERNESS. SERIOUS RIOTING AT ESSEN. LONDON, November 19. The Cologne correspondent of The Times states that the decision of the Ruhr mineowners from December 1 only to permit the employment of men working ten hours per day is causing bitter feeling among the men, who are getting out of hand. Wholesale demonstrations are being held. One at Essen led to serious rioting, wherein three were killed and many wounded. The police were compelled to fire on the demonstrators, who replied with revolvers and hand grenades while sheltering behind barricades erected in the streets. Eventually French troops with armoured cars intervened and cleared the streets. Separatist agents took advantage of the occasion to placard the town proclaiming a Rhineland Republic. Meanwhile trade unions in the Rhineland and Westphalia are urging the Government to take over and run the mines, adding that they cannot admit that the occupying Powers are alone to blame for the present chaos. SIR JOSEPH WARD’S IDEAS “FRANCE IS RIGHT.” GERMANY MANUFACTURES FINANCIAL CHAOS. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 20. Speaking at a public meeting here tonight, Sir Joseph Ward said that the position in Europe between France and Germany looked very grave and dangerous, but he had no hesitation in expressing his belief that the French were right and had been from the start. Personally he believed Germany deliberately depreciated the mark in order to escape paying reparations to the Allies and was defying the civilised world by refusing to pay her reparations and debts. The only way to stop that sort of thing was for all nations in the League to impress upon America that in the interests of humanity she ought to join the League and help to prevent another war taking place in our generation. Why, he asked, was Russia preparing munitions of war to-day. That was an important pi a tier consider,

Commenting on the fall of the mark, Sir Joseph said Germany, by reason of the low wages obtaining there, was building up a commercial strength with which Britain and her dominions, America, France and all other nations, would have to reckon in the near future if something were not promptly done to meet the position. ENGLISH COAL FOR GERMANY. CREDITS AND CONTRACT ARRANGED. LONDON, November 19. (Received November 20, 8 p.m.). A contract has been signed in London by an influential group of banks for the purpose of granting the Deutsch Verkehr and Credit Bank, a credit for the purchase of coal in England on behalf of the German State railways, which are unable to obtain coal from the Ruhr. The credit is nominally for £3,000,000, but only £750,000, or the price of about 500,000 tons of coal, will be available at present. The credit has been granted subject to guarantees by Germany. It is emphasised that the transaction is a purely commercial one and has no political significance. France was of the