RUHR AND REPARATIONS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 82, 11 August 1923, Page 5

RUHR AND REPARATIONS

THE COMMUNITY OF NATIONS. MR ASQUITH’S VIEWS. Press Asso iation—Copyright. Australian and N.Z Cable Association. London, August 9. Mr Asquith, in a valedictory address to the Liberal Summer School at Cambridge, said that last year lie had believed in the prospect of a practical settlement of the repara-tion,-i problem, but his hopes had boon disappointed. Now and worse complications had been added by the French occupation of the Ruhr. Some people (not many) imagined that if Britain had supported tho occupation Germany would long ago have capitulated, but lie bdioved that an overwhelming majority in Britain would rightly have opposed British support of, the occupation as illegal or immoral, but that tho policy was wholly impolitic, and calculated not to accelerate securing reparations, but to retard or frustrate its own purpose. Some now imagined that a crippled and impoverished Germany was to British interest, as it would remove a formidable industrial competitor. It was neither to the interest of Britain, the Allies, Europe nor tho wprld to leave -Germany bankrupt, dismembered and outcast from the community of nations.

FRENCH PRESS COMMENT. (Received 9.5 a.m.) Paris, August 9. Lc Temps says that Ur. Cuno’s speech was not intended to discourage Lord Curzon, but on the contrary to stimulate Britain to do more than hitherto on behalf of Germany. If England yields to Germany, France will always he there to defend the dearly-bought fruits' of victory, and to safeguard the Allies’ patrimony. CUNO’S PROPOSED LOAN. i THE FRENCH VIEW. (Received 9.45 a.m.) Paris, August 9. The Government takes the view that Ur. Cuno’s proposed new international loan on a gold basis would violate the Treaty of Versailles, and points out that the Reparations Commission has power to seize contributions. ~

PASSIVE RESISTANCE. OPINIONS IN THE REICH. Berlin, August 9. The I,oka] Anzeiger declares that France is preparing for a great offensive in the Ruhr, with a view to breaking down passive resistance, and all foreigners are being advised to leave. Tlio Reichstag, debated Ur. Ouno’s statement. AHerr Stress,man said he was convinced England would take a different attitude regarding passive resistance in the Ruhr, and would ofiic:ally demand it should he ended. Germany would gain nothing by a rupture of the Entente, and did, not ,wish» to see it. Germany's breakdown -would lead to more unemployment in England, followed by an outbreak of Bolshevism in both countries. Ho warned France that Germany was not so far spent as to take: the filching of the Rhino and the Ruhr lying down.

Herr Hersrt, n form or Minister for Finance, said that if Fngland was so wale as to allow M. Poinra.ro to flout her, and decline to reply to her questionaire, it was not Germany's business, bnt Germany bad tbo right to ask England to carry out the promises made at the signing of the Treaty,