THE QUICKSAND OF THE RUHR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16987, 10 March 1923, Page 7

THE QUICKSAND OF THE RUHR.

CAN FRANCE RETREAT? LLOYD GEORGE IRONICAL. The following article and all Mr Lloyd George’s subsequent articles are copyright by the United Press in America and all countries. They are copyright in New Zealand and Australia by the Australian Press Association, and the copyright in Britain is held by the ‘ ‘ Daily Chronicle.” Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited. By Telegraph—Preae Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received March 10, 8.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 7. lt When you have walked some distance into quicksands, and are sinking deeper with every step,” says Mr Lloyd George in his latest article, “it is always difficult to decide whether you are move likely to reach firm ground by pressing forward or by going backward. You must do one or the other. You cannot stand fast, for that is inevitable destruction. The French Government is clearly of the opinion that safety lies in marching further into the quagmire. 8o more German cities are occupied, more burgomasters aud officials expelled, more men and boys shot in the streets, more black troops imported, and more regulations and decrees issued. There is more depression on the French* Belgian and Italian exchanges, and more confusion in Central Europe’s business. In a. sentence, there is more quaking and le-ss solid coal. WEATHERCOCKS AND PROPHETS. “ But for this fa.tuous invasion, France would, in the past 6ix or seven weeks, have received from the R.uhr nearly three million tons of coal and coke instead of the fifty thousand tons actually received. No wonder M. Loucheur stated flatly in the French i Chamber that he did not approve of the Ruhr enterprise. He has one distinct advantage over the Ruhr plungers in that ho knows something about business. He is also an admirable judge of to-morrow’s weather, a rare endowment among politicians. Any simpleton can tell you the way the wind is blowing today, but it requires a man of special insight to forecast the direction tomorrow. M. Loucheur is one of these well-equipped weather prophets; so he satisfies the opinion of to-day by supporting M. Poincare, and safeguards bis position against to-morrow’s change by stating that he does not approve of the policy he supports. . FRANCE FLOUNDERING IN QUICKSAND. “ Will the French Government try to extricate themselves from the difficulties into which they have precipitated their country and Europe? I fear not. Heedlessness rushes a man into danger; it needs courage to get out again Getting out involves the admission of blame, and there are few who possess that exalted type of courage. There are further reasons why the present Government of France will flounder further into the quicksand. The trouble to-day in France is that every alternative leader disapproves of this enterprise and believes that it must ultimately fail. On the other hand, no prominent figure in French politics is prepared to take the odium of sounding the retreat. It would always be said that success was in sight, and but for the new Minister’s cowardice and perfidy, France would have emerged triumphantly out of her financial morass. No French statesman dare face that deadly accusation, so thp> present French Government is tied to the saddle of its charger. “ FOMENTERS OF THIS RASHNESS.” “ Another explanation of the difficulty of withdrawing lies irl the increasing fury of the original fomenters of this rashness Last week I gave a summary of ambitious plans for syndi eating European resources. This week they propound a new Treaty, which will supersede the Versailles Treaty. Boundaries are to be revised, rich provinces and towns practically annexed. Ruhr coal is to be harnessed to Lorraine ore. and Germany reduced to complete economic subjection. There has been nothing comparable with these ideas since the Norman Conquest. BRITAIN AND AMERICA NOT CONSULTED. “ Needless to say, Britain and America are not to be invited to this 1 Lew peace conference. They will be J graciously informed of the conditions ! of the new peace when it is finally established by French arms. The British Empire, which raised millions of men to liberate French soil from the German invaders, and lost hundreds of thousands of its best young lives in the effort, is not even to be consulted as to the settlement which its losses alone made possible. America, who came to the rescue with millions of its bravest, is barely worth a sentence m these ravings of brains intoxicated wth an unwholesome mixture of hatred, greed and military arrogance “ Jbe French Government are not committed by any overt declarations to these schemes, but it is ominous that they issue from pens whose insistent prodding has driven this Government on to its present action, and up to the present* no repudiation has come from the head of the Government. \VH AT FR ANCE DESI RES. “ Pledges for reparation and security wili cover a multitude of aggressions. 1 have perused the Blue Book on the Paris Conference, anxious to find out exactly what JVI. Poincare proposed to demand, of Germany- as a. condition of submission to the French will. I have read bis speeches in vain. It is true he was never asked the question. That sounds incomprehensible, but everyone was engaged in such a. hurry to break up the conference and put an end to disagreeable disagreements that it seems never to have occurred to them to ask this essential question, and the party principally concerned was not represented. No one knows the terms on which the French armv i« prepared to evacuate the Ruhr. Mr Bon nr Law could not explain to the House of Commons, for no one ever told him, and he never asked. It is sure by this time that M. Poincare has quite forgotten why he ever went to the Ruhr. He will remain there until something happens to provide us with the answer.”