ALLIED ACTION

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1921, Page 3

ALLIED ACTION

CABLE NEWS.

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. (MULE ASSOCIATION. GERMAN COMMISSION’- FINDING. BERLIN, March 12. The German Reichstag’s Commission of Inquiry into the Responsibility for the'War has issued a statement. It declares that neither in Germany „ nor in Austria were any orders issued j.hat could he interpreted as calls for mobilisation. The Commission state it has not yet completed its enquiries into the alleged secret preparations in Russia. ALLIES OCCUPY ANOTHER TOWN. PARIS, March 12. The Allies have occupied Ob'erhausen, on the Rhine. They did so without incident. ALLIED PLANS. PARIS, March 12. The Allies’ special envoys who were despatched from Coblenz . have been estimating the practical results of the Allies’ penalties on Germany. They state, firstly, that the occupations already made are the best conceived and the most profitable. They report that the coal canied throughJDuisberg and Ruhrort is alone estimated at 25,00(1,000 tons. • They state that the taking over of the product of the German Customs on the outer frontier of the Rhineland,*bordering on France and Belguim, does, not promise any considerable yield. The British High ' Commissioner in Cologne points out that the Customs receipts at Cologne were £BOO,OOO during 1920, but he does not guarantee the accuracy of the figures. Thirdly, the envoys say the establishment of a. Customs cordon between the occupied area and free Germany is not likely to yield more than £7,500,000 a year. TAXING german TRADE. BRITISH PROPOSAL. LONDON, March 12. The Government’s German Reparation Recovery Bill has been drafted It provides for a payment being maao to the Government of 50 per cent rf the value of the exported German goods Payment is to be made to the Commissioner of Customs, who will place ill money to a special account, to be applied under the Treasury’s direction towards the discharge of Germany’s indemnity obligations, as under Parts 8 and 9 of the Versailles Treaty. The goods to which the impost ap j plies are those wholly or partly maim-; factured or produced, in Germany, and consigned to the United Kingdom, pro- . vided they are not intended for re-ex- , portation. The value of the goods shall be taken to be the amount which the importer would give as the price oi un- j L portation, the importer paying the V, freight and insurance. ALLIED TRADE COERCION. j AMSTERDAM, March 11. j It is understood that the Dutch com- ( mereial circles are urging their Govern--9* ment to protest to the League oi Nations against the Allies’ coercive economic measures against Germany, which will be detrimental to commerce between German and neutral countries. GERMAN POLITICAL SQUABBLE. ! BERLIN, March 11. ' The Prussian Government ■‘resigned lately. This seriously affects the Imperial Government. Herr Stinnes, the multi-millionaire political leader s fo - V lowers and the People’s Party will undoubtedly withdraw their support from the Government if they are denied representation in the new Prussian Cabinet to which the Socialists are raising objections. The “ Morning Post’s ” Berlin correspondent states: “Sharp conflicts .occurred in the Reichstag between Dr von Simons and Herr Stinnes, the latter complaining the foreign policy ol the Government was without a dominating idea, as shown by the fact that the delegate was sent to London to conduct important negotiations without cleany outlined proposals. The whole conduct of the negotiations in London, lie said, " w proved the absence of a controlling idea. Dr Simons, in reply, said that while be would gladly have accepted advice from Stinnes, be was not that gentleman’s junior clerk. I VON SIMON’S ATTITUDE. i APPROVED BY REICHSTAG. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) BERLIN, March 13. The Reichstag Bv 250 votes to 40. carried a vote of confidence in \on Simons, after his speech, dealing with negotiations in London and the German counter proposals. He made his personal responsibility from political motives, especially the consideration ol those towns threatened by the Allies measures of compulion. Our position was such that we could not expect anything from a rupture of relations. The world s ... opinion of us was too unfavourable for the contention that the Peace lica s is . A ~null and void, because the Allies bad torn it up. Germany must iulfd tin Treaty as far as possible and not Luther.' We have not blocked the path to further negotiations. We must endeavour to make counter proposals on a different basis, hut after a slap m 1 face, we cannot offer our hand and say we will he friends.” VON SIMONS EXPLAINS. (Received T'-is Day at 32.20 D.nO BERLIN, March 13. During his speech in the Reichstag, Von Simons admitted that ' v ß en 111 U , heard from gentlemen in London of the P conditions in their countries, one must ' acknowledge that their demands were no t the result of the intoxication ot victory or hunger for power, but wore due to their extraordinarily grav c anxiety and needs. Simons’ remarks produced noisy protests from the Right countered by approving shouts from Uh Left.