FRANCE & REPARATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1923, Page 2

FRANCE & REPARATIONS

[in TELEGRArn —PEH PRESS ASSOOlAlION)

ESSEN MINES: LONDON. Jail. 13 The • Morning Post’s” Berlin correspondent states that when the Herman industrialists and coal owners did not. attend the meeting called at Essen, General Deitvigncs addressed the Hermans present, and said that unless the mines proceed forthwith with the deliveries of coal tor all parts of Gernuiiiy, including the unoccupied territorv, the sanctions would he imposed, j Tlie “Morning Post’’ continues: , "This means that in a few days the mines will he unable to pay wages, unless the Ki'eneh Commission decides to pay them itself. ! TO BUY ENGLISH COAL. | BERLIN. Jan. 13 ! Hugo Stiunes. Thyssen, and other Herman industrialists, are trying to checkmate the French Commission by I applying to English coal owners for coal, on credit, to enable Germany to he independent of the Ruhr coal. FOOD PURCHASES FOR RUHR. RERUN, .Tan. 13 Owing to the occupation oi the Ruhr the agricultural districts ot Hanover arc now crowded with agents who are Inlying up cattle, butter, and niilk for the newly-occupied area. They are purchasing on such a scale that the supply of Herman towns is endangered. HERMAN COAL SUPPLY. BERLIN. January 13. Within a week, the whole of the stocks of coid in Germany will be exhausted if the Ruin supplies arc stopped. and hundreds of thousands of workers will tie thrown out of work. MERLIN. Jan. 13. The workers in Ruhr are now spending lavishly, owing to the rapid fall in the mark. At Knipps* factories, forty thousand Workers continue at their posts. FRF.NCtI CONTROL OF REITR. BERLIN. January 12. The price of Herman coal is being increased immediately by 50 per cent., while the Illinois’ wages are being raised by about G 8 per cent. I BERLIN. January 13. j Tlie Herman Government lias handed 1 the Helgi an ami French Ambassadors 1 a Note denying there is any real excuse for violating she Treaty of Versailles. Germany says she cannot fight but she will not how to. or assist France. The Note states the mark is I falling and prices are rising. The result will lie that Germany will be nil- ■ able to pay any Power its reparations.

THE ENTERING OF RUHR

11 tttE Times” service Berlin, j.™ 12. Great crowds, with facts -set, in tiio effort, to maintain self control, watched tlm French ratter Essen. There were occasional eric.-, of fitry mid pain heard. Tlie houses were shuttered and shop blinds drawn. The population was sullen and resentful ns ihoylooked at the column of dark blue uniformed and Itolinieted cyclists, part coloured, armoured cars and cavalry. From the sinisters cars in which no man was seen protruded, the muzzles of machine-guns, a s if saying to too hostile-eyed crowd:—“Remember we are. here.” The . silence with Which the inwardly raging Westrnlian workers regarded thorn, .seemed to answer— M’o will renumber to-day. never fear. Despite the menace of machine guns, occasionally angry murmurs from the crowd broke the general melancholy silence. Many took no trouble! to hide their hatred for the armed men. whose triumphal ride this was. The French looked, straight in front as if ceremonially parading, not sparing the police, for tlm fury and blazing eyes of the rank angry men. The French behaved with absolute correctness. There was no hectoring and no jesting, but they rode as conquorors. the officers. especially, though not provocatively, (suggesting their pride and military pomp. The whole impression given was of being present at tin funeral of the people's pride. At the Post Office, the officers ami troopers dismounted. The lafl.r barred tin* entrance and exit, imprisoning all within. The infantry appeared, and cPared the pavement. Agitated Gormans protested. but were swept aside coldly. An officer went in formally, to take over the Administration. Within five minutes, Essen was eitt off from postal, telegraphic and telephone communication with the outer world. It wa soon restored. The Hermans temporarily imprisoned were released. General Kampsoii. commanding the occupying forces, subsequently demanded and held an interview with the Burgomaster named Luther, and informed him that he did not wish to place unnecessary burden-, upon Die people. When the various controls were instituted in connection with canals, railways, and Post Office, tin* 1 1 rv.j would he withdrawn. Luther replied that In- could only take the actions forced upon him. as be was unable to offer rcsUtnuc. I protest.-d against the French action in u.-ung military force again- 1 a disarmed defenceless population. D was totally illegal. Genial R:\tnn“on replied that be would note the prole i. I' ■ mimed and withdrew. The “Daily .Mail’s” Pan- correspondent states the Ruhr hanks followed tin* example of tlie coal companies and rushed off tfieir deposits. ATTEMPT TO SEIZE MEM.EL. BERLIN. Jan. 13 Some lighting has occurred at Meou-i during the night between Die Lithuanians ami the German police. The latter were assisted by French soldi,.! One German was killed. SYMPATHY FOR GERMANS. LONDON. Jan. 13. The British Miners’ ’Federation has protested against the French occupation of the Ruhr, stating they believe that the world’s peace is threatened bv this display of military force. They call oil the Allied Governments to g"l the reparations settled by arbitration, under the League of Nations. Meanwhile the British Miners’ Federation will keep in touch with the German miners in order that the facts of tlie Ruhr occupation shall he made known to Die world.

\BREST OF ( DMMTXISTBARIS. .Tan. 13 Further Communist mouthers ot Hi Committee of Action Against Imperial ism and War, have been arrested They were charged with, participating in German agitations in the Ruin against the occupation. The Government proposes to charge the Communist Deputy, M. Cachin. with treason, and with holding inter- , course with foreign hostile bodies, and t plotting agaipst the securitv of tho State

PROTEST TO ITALY. ' ROME, January 12. The German Ambassador has lodged > with Signor Mussolini, Italian Premier, a protest against the French rnvasiofi of the Ruhr region. The Ambassador I declared Germany would fulfil her obligations as far as she was able. THE CHANGED CONDITIONS. , BERLIN, January 12. I General ,Simon, commanding the , French forces at the bridgehead at Dus- - scldmf, lias instructed the German an- } thorities to summon the heads Kmpps’s, Thysscn’s, Kierdorf’s 6stnb-‘ - lishmcnts and other leading industrialists to a conference at either DqsSeL dorf or Essen, in order to discuss the ” < ‘ > methods of carrying on industry in the - Ruhr. ’ Tlie authorities sent a reply that would communicate with the Ruhr Coal Syndicate, whose headquarters hnre been removed. r The firms have readily responded, hut i they refused to send the chiefs, ap- • pointing as their representatives tho Mayors of Essen and Dusseldart. The Allied engineers were also present. General Simon intimated that Mayonce would ho no longer under Berlin’.s sovereignty, but would be under an ocA eupat ional authority. The Germans protested against this as a breach ofjthe , treaty. REPARATION PAYMENT. (Received tin’s day at S a.m.) PARTS. Jan. 13. The Reparations Commission has postponed the date of the next German reparations payment to 31st .Tail, ns a provisional measure. A vote was i not taken, but Sir R. Bradbury dissented from the decision, as it was contrary to tlie British policy of a. long i moratorium; He also dissented, front 1 the decision to supply mfonnatiofi tb the now Franeo-Belgiau-ltnlinn Control Commission in Ruhr, of which the j Reparation commission has no official cognisance. j A Cologne correspondent says the j Infor-Allied Rhineland Commission has : decided not to prohibit a half hour strike in the occupied territory on loth January, because it. is purely a mourning ob'sen'anne. This is the first time the Commission has vTiived the anti-strike ordinance. FRENCH FLAG TORN DOWN. | (Received this (lav at S a.m.) , BERLIN, Jan 13. The “Vorwaerts” states tho French flag hoisted by the occupying troops at the Steeple, was torn down by ljio crowd The Burgomaster apologised to the French cimimnndpr. c j 1 AN ESSEN REPORT. PARIS. Jan 13. According to Essen reports. Germany has agreed to rseume coal deliveries. under tentative arrangements i controlled by the Franco-German com-. - >i mission. 1 _