GERMAN AFFAIRS.

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15353, 29 September 1923, Page 8

GERMAN AFFAIRS.

QUESTION OF REPARATIONS. PINAL SETTLEMENT HOPED. Australian and N.Z. Cable As«n, LONDON, September 26. The Berlin correspondent o* the Daily Telegraph states that a proclamation issued in the Ruhr withdraws all Government orders in connection with resistance, ahd rails upon the population to resume work. The Government will appoint a Ruhr commissioner to serve as intermediary between the Reich and the occupational authorities. 'ln the meantime Germany and the occupying Powers will discuss a provisional regime for the Ruhr. Control of production will presumably remain in the hands' of the French Technical Comminsion, 'which, after investigation of each case, will grant permission to those expelled to return to work. The occupying troops are likely to remain for the present, but the occupation will be made less visible. This modus vivendi, during which negotiations, wit! be conducted between Germany 'and the Allies regarding reparations, would open the way to final settlement of the Ruhr region. The German Government 'will, at the earliest moment, communicate to all the Allies definite far- , reaching proposals to this end, the chief- feature being Dr Stresemann’s offer, already announced, to mortgage r State and private property as security. | It is believed in Berlin that the ultimate form of administration in the Ruhr will be the subject of a bitter and prolonged contention in Paris. M. Poincare’s attitude may be summarised ,thus: France will not take any initia-

tive in the negotiations, and will await the withdrawal of all ordinances and give a new state of affairs time to develop. Secondly, France will continue to enforce the programme of local reparations initiated on January 1 and developed since. Thirdly, regarding the general reparations settlement, France will not consent to any narrow formulae. There will be no evacuation except In direct proportion to the payments received.