ARMY IN OCCUPATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 47, 19 November 1920, Page 7

ARMY IN OCCUPATION

SAID BY GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO BE TOO STRONG ■ INDICATIONS OP OFFENSIVE PURPOSES (By T«legra.ph"Fresi Asßoo>tion--Co;yriirM Berlin, November 16. Herr von Simon?, German Foreign Minister, speaking at Cologne, declared that the Allies' troops in occupation numbered 145,000,.0r 50,000 above the strength of the whole German army in January next' He said- that a tenth of tliese troops would suffice, and pointed out that the extension of tho Rhine bridgeheads suggested .offensive' purposes. Military drill-grounds beyond the needs of the troops of occupation had been made, bakeries capable'of turning out 400,000 daily rations Had been established, and. new strategic bridges over the llhine had been prepared, wliile behind the Armies of Occupation large forces Were stationed. Those facts, ho said, suggested that the Rhenish territory wou'M be used as a Jumpiiig-off ground for further encroachments upon Germany. Hn declared tnat they would not comply with the occupation obligations until tne occupation problem was settled economically. The Eijtento was at present acting like a creditor, who gave the* debtor an overseer whose salary was higher than tho payments \of the' debtor. 1 Herr Fehronbach, Imperial Chancellor, in a speech at Cologne, said that, while Germany intended to carry out the Treaty/they did not acknowledge tho admission of sole guilt, which had been forced on them at Versailles.—lieuter. '