EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15853, 26 November 1923, Page 5

EUROPEAN AFFAIRS

UPROAR IN CHAMBER.

FRANCE’S BEST SECURITY.

CONSOLIDATION ON RHINte.

Australian and N.Z. Gable Asjm. PARIS, November 23

M. Poincare, in the course of a speech, said that the negotiators of the Treaty of Versailles signed it in opposition to Ihe President of the French Republic and Marshal Foch. “ Why, then, did you accept the Treaty?” demanded a deputy. “I intended to resign the Presidency,” replied M. Poincare. “ I consulted the presidents of the Chamber and Senate, also Marshal Foch. They all asked me not to resign.” M. Mandcl, a deputy, wished to reply, but the uproar was such that the sitting was suspended. When the Chamber resumed its session the deputies' passed the motion of confidence.

Earlier in the proceedings M. Poincare mentioned that he had recently asked the permission of the British Government to publish a Yellow Book detailing the negotiations for an AngloFrench pact of guarantee, in which Mr Lloyd George and succeeding British Prime Ministers refused to insert a military convention.

“ I’ll never give up the idea,” declared M. Poincare, recalling that France notified Britain in May, 1922. that M. Millerand’s engagement that France would not act alone could apply only to inter-AUied questions. M. Poincare concluded that if France were threatened to-morrow she would act. alone without asking the authorisation of the Allies. After the Chamber had carried the vote of confidence, M. Poincare delivered a speech dealing with the recent. decision of the Ambassadors’ Conference, which, lie declared, was in no wise perfect. But France preferred to abandon provisionally part of her ideas and demands in order to avoid the withdrawal of her Allies from various treaty institutions and to prevent a probable rupture. Continuing, M. Poincare said: “We shall gain the best guarantee of security, in the opinion of Marshal Foch, by consolidating our present positions in the occupied territories.”

M. Poincare announced that an agreement had been reached between the Allies' and almost all the Ruhr industrialists for resumption of deliveries in kind.

GERMANY BREAKING UP.

FRANCE HAS HAD HER WAY

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.! LONDON, Nov. 24.

The Times, in an editorial, says that the problem presented to the world by the fall of Dr. Stresemann is most serious. “The plain fact is that Germany is breaking up, principally because the Ruhr and the Rhine have been torn from her. It is probable that within a month or two the separation of this most important area from Germany will assume some tentative political form.

“France has had her way. Her curiously systematic and coldly logical effort is nearing its goal. \ new political entity is appearing in Middle Europe, moulded and dominated by France. The rest of chaotic Germany, deprived of this wealthy region, has little chance of speedy recovery. “A new Europe is shaping at our doors. The facts arc still obscured by clauses of trealies and ihe noise of legal disputes. It is time to deal with realities. Britain needs above all at present the strongest Government capable of grappling fearlessly with realities in Europe."

STIR IN DIPLOMATIC CIRCLES.

SITUATION IN MELTING POT.

VIOLENT SCENES IN REICHSTAG

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.)

BERLIN, Nov. 25

The President, Herr Ebert, accepted the resignation of the Cabinet and requested Dr Strcsemann to carry on in the interim.

The news of Dr Stre-semann’s downfall, which coincided with the passing of a vote of confidence in M. Poincare by the French Chamber of Deputies, has caused a considerable stir in diplomatic circles. It is pointed out that the whole European situation is again thrown into the melting pot at a time when there were such hopeful signs, as the Ambassadors’ agreement at Paris, the appearance yesterday of a German delegation before the Reparation Commission, and the announcement of an agreement between the French authorities and the Ruhr industrialists.

The Marquis Curzon, in the absence of nearly every Cabinet Minister electioneering, remains at the Foreign Office. In a letter declining to speak at Southport he referred to the exceedingly anxious position of foreign affairs, and stated that in the circumstances he had undertaken to remain at his post. There has been much speculation concerning Dr Strcscmann’s reference on Thursday to an offer by foreign financiers of a loan of £.10,000,000. No confirmation of this could be obtained in the highest financial circles in London. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent points out that a loan of such magnitude would he impossible without the co-opcration of the biggest financial houses.

The Berlin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph states, however, that Dr Strcsemann, in a statement to journalists after his defeat, said that to prove to Conservatives the reality of the loan negotiations he that morning had submitted to the secretary of their party full documents relative thereto. He added that he would do his best to secure the realisation of the loan, which, he hoped, would not he frustrated by his resignation.

Dr. Strcsemann felt that his Cabinet without, the support of an unambiguous majority in the Reichstag would be prejudiced in negotiations with foreign Powers, and had therefore sought an open fight. He dealt at length with the return of the exCrown Prince, who, lie said, had been greatly maligned abroad. The Prince was really a man of mature intelligence with a strong sense of responsibility.

There were several violent scenes in the Reichstag before the vote was taken.

REPARATION COMMISSION. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) PARIS. November 2-1. The German representative, Herr Fischer, addressing the Reparation Commission, maintained that only the restoration of German economic unily could enable her to put her finances in a healthy condition and restore her capacity to pay. lie handed the commission a memorandum on the Belgian reparation scheme as a possible basis of negotiations.-

A SUCCESSOR SOUGHT,

FUTILE CONFERENCES.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, November 25.

The Berlin correspondent of the Sunday Express states that efforts to find a successor for Dr Stressmann hitherto have failed. The result of conferences only emphasises friction and differences. Herr Von Kardoff was invited to form a’ Ministry but negotiations collapsed. Herr Hcrgt, leader of the Centre Catholic Party, conferred with the President, Herr Ebert, late last night.