FRANCE & REPARATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1923, Page 2

FRANCE & REPARATIONS

[in TELEGRAPH—I‘F,k PRESS ASSOCIATION!

HERMANS DECI.IXF. DELIVERY FRENCH MILITARY MEASURES. PARIS, dan 15. Following the German Government prohibition oTcoal deliveries, the Conference at Essen between French jgie(thorities and representatives of Mine Owners Association broke down, after Fritz Thy.ssen on behalf of Ger;inan representatives declared the French order to resume coal deliveries, could not he obeyed. General Degoutte immediately gave an order to advance to Dortmund and annotroeed that troops would lie re-establislnw in the evening on the line Wcreden-Hat-t tngwen-Weiiie-I lenrickburg-Heinrinch-cnluirg-Reekh 1 ban sen-Bottrop. LOXDOX. dan In. France has decided on forcible measures to secure deliveries o( coal. SOCIALIST SYMPATHIES. LOXDOX. dan. 15 Baden Huston, a Commoner, goes to , Cormaiu on Thursday in order to convex- to German socialists independent labour party's sympathy in regard tS> the French occupation of Ruhr. Bunton lived tor some time at a Rullt miner'- home. COAL DELIVERY REFUSAL. BERLIN. Jan. 15 The Coal Commissioner has prohibited Ruhr coal owners from supplying Franee and Belgium, even against payment. Dramatic action by France is expected. HALF-HOUR STOPPAGE. BERLIN, Jail. 15. Advices from Essen state the halt hour stoppage of work as a protest against French action v.as carried out. There was an anti-French demonstration outside the French headquarters. Speeches were delivered and patriotic soics sung and a noisy demonstration held near the oflicos of the Interallied .Military Mission at Bellevue Hotel, but the police prevented .the demonstrators entering the buildings or doing any damage and finally dispersed thorn. No arrests were made. The crowd was gratified at the hoisting of _ *. the German monarehinl colours on buildings opposite the hotel. Advices from Stettin state police prevented an attempted demonstration against the Entente Commissioners.

A HEAVY SILENCE. WASHINGTON. January 15. A heavy silence lias fallen upon the - t Fuited States administration, regard- * iug the Reparations. White House, and the State Department refuse to say anything concerning the Reparations situation. They decline even to permit speculation, and have hinted to -* r tho press correspondents the desirability of saying nothing. Everything now must come from Europe. This appears 1o lie- the last void.

A CRITICAL SITUATION. LONDON, -Tan. 15

Tho "Daily Express” Essen correspondent states :—The whole situation has changed suddenly, and has become most critical. There is now a complete rupture between the French authorities and the German industrial leaders. The joint Franco-German commission met to-day. and discussed a provisional agreement, under which coal was to ho supplied, the French paying the i<jnyC el-' wages, but the Germans an^

nouni'Oil the receipt of an order from

the Coal Controller at Berlin, forbidding the mine owners tp make any further deliveries on any condition:, whatever.

The French peremptorily demanded

prompt deliveries in compliance with Hie Reparation Commission’s demands. The Germans declared that they must obey Berlin. The French iVt*

Hie room, and they immediately drove off to consult General Degoutte. Meanwhile, the French forces had completely occupied Bochum by noon'. The French state that all previous agreements are now cancelled. They retain complete liberty of action. A half-hour’s complete strike was observed throughout the Ruhr during, the forenoon. The shops closed, and

a large demonstration was held al Essen. Students, business men, and worker- assembled in front of the Town Hall, and sang “Deutschland Flier Alios,” and other songs, with the refrain :—“AYo shall march victoriously

against France!” .Mounted police unsuccessfully attempted to disperse the crowd. The populace observed a two-niiiiutos-sileiioe order from Berlin for meditation "on the terrible consequences of France’s outrage.” GEILMANY ACTING AS IF AT WAR. LONDON, .fail. Ifi The “Daily ’i oh-graph's” Berlin correspondent say. -"Germany considers ii.-rseh in a state of war, in which military !, re is used on the one side, and economic manoeuvring on the other. The Reich.- Rank is refusing lo send money into the occupied area, treating it as being in an enemy's hand-. The question of paying the miners is thus mute. The French troops have reached I birtinutid. CROWD COLLIDES WITH FRENCH. RERUN, Jan. Ifi A large political demonstration at ” chum I'uliniuaioil in a. collision with French troops, who then fired, killing - one null! and wounding several. At the outset a crowd of several thousand collected outside the Town Hall, where Hie French General it staying. They sang patriotic songs, and cheered the German Republic, and then marched in p". cos-ion through the streets. A number of young Communists, however made a counter demonstration, and cheered the Third Internationale and the French Communistic League of Youths. The police were unable to cope with the demonstrators, who came into collision with the French troops at the railway station, with the above result.

THE RUHR COAL TRUST. BERLIN, Jan 15. n An organisation known as the Rhen-i-h-We-tplu I 1 ndicule, which ordinarily sells the Ruhr's whole coal output, i- the work of Kirdorf. who is now taking a leading part in the attempts to thwart the French. Kirdorf after liegiiming life penniless, is now one of Germany's richest men. ha- a -trong, masterful personality. * He persistently warned Germany against the perils of the ex-Kaiser’s policy, after the overthrow of Bismarck. He refused all the ex-Kaiser’s prolfered honours and invitations.

GERMANY OFFERS. BERLIN, Jan 10. An apparently official communique U has been published in the evening panel's here, stating that Germany is ready to negotiate with the whole Entente for m reasonable solution ef the Re. potations problem