FRANCE & REPARATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1923, Page 2

FRANCE & REPARATIONS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. FRENCH REPLY TO GERMANY BERLIN, Jan 24. The French Foreign Office has returned the German note protesting against the shooting of Germans by a French sentry at I.anger.brier, saying it i- impossible to accept a note couched in .such terms. The French reply to the German protest against the arrest of the Ruhj>s_ industrialists, maintains that that "all measures of the occupation authorities are completely legal, being the result of an infringement of the Versailles Treaty, the French Govern- ___ ment re.s.rves the right to tako ail ~- sanctions necessitated by the attitude of the German Government. German officials and nationals. Advices from Essen state French ai«e issuing a news sheet in German foim, for distribution among the population. French customs officials have arrived in Ruhr and t-ho establishment of a customs cordon will .soon bo complete.

PREPARATIONS. PARIS, January 24,

First class railway men at Boulogne, Calais, Lille. Amts, Doullens, and Abbeville, belonging mostly to a young class of reservists, have been ordered , to report at their depots. 1 hey will be sent to the Ruhr. The “Echo de Baris” asserts: “The French Government is about- to send an ultimatum to Germany, demanding definite supplies of fuel. In the ovent of failure to comply within i2 hours, France will entirely isolate the Ruhr from the Fatherland. Genera! Wcygand is mentioned Gov* vernor-General of the Isolated area. BERLIN, January 24; The “Tageblntt” Icarus that the French arc forming a customs barrier, separating the Ruhr from the test of Germany, and troops are I wing withdrawn from towns with a view to surrounding the occupied area. PRAGUE, January 24. Many Czecho-Slovakian miners are being released for work in Frail v. MOVEMENTS OF GERMAN FORCES. BERLIN. Jan 2-1. Reports of important mo\ aments of Beieii.swclir are semiofficially denied. It il staled these troops are in garrison and that no concentration of any kind lias occurred. Advices from Essen states that re- , u.sal of the telephonists to make connections for the French have led to many arrests on outlying places, where .mikes are threatened. Hie Essen postal officials have passed a resolution demanding the withdarwal of troops from the Post Office and refusing work under the French, bayonets. A railway strike at Overhausen has ■ rippled traffic north of the Ruhr. A number of officials, on iof using to operate Belgian troop trains, were arrested. (jn the ten tun,', the train service from E—en to Dortmund and l)us.-.< Idorf i.s complete. TO CONTROL THE RUHR. PARIS, Jan 24. Everything indicates that the French have decided to cut off the Ruhr from Germany in si Icnv days.

The French admit that the limitation of the Fraiu-o-Belgiail activti-c----to the diversion of coal trains and Urn seizure of state, mines has hot produced the desired effect, and has not resulted in the despatch of morel coal o France. On the contrary, coal is uninterruptedly moving to Germany. The French proposal seems to he to -lahlish. by means of a close cordon customs officials, protected by troops .■I, iron ring separating from the rest of Germany the occupied territory in which, the French and Belgians will tablisli a government under a Frem-t----overnor-Gcneral .at first military, and 1 i i.hu- , ivil. The Franco-Belgiitns o' !•- U-1.l all public services, but they will not interfere with the normal liie of the inhabitants as long as law and owl- . or are maintained. The Franco-Belgutns will supply food. The French expect to meet no great resistance on, ? tiro A workers find that they are being paid and fed regularly. REPORTED STRIKE. PARIS, Jan 25. A goneril railway strike throughout the occupied at", a appears to he inevitable. It is reported the Germans have selected Cologne as the centre therefore, it oeing the junction through which the majority of ihe Ruhr trains pass. \ French'official interviewed by ' La Liberte.’ declared that if Frame gives wav. a fresh war is inevitable. “V. are engaged in a new Yerdun.” h. said: “Germany is openly preparing for rwenge. 11 would lie criminal n we ignore it.” MORE REASONABLE. (Received this dav at R a.m.) BEKI.iN. Jan. 25. Thanks to the Imperial Government’s intervention the Bavarian authorities have compelled holds to permit French ami Belgian Control Commission to remain in their hotel quarters. Light and water supplies which were cut off have been restored. AMERICAN TROOPS LEAYE. (Received this dav at 8 a.m.) I SEREIN, Jan. 25. Reuter's Coblenz correspondent re- r~ pu-ts th > American army of occupation hot Germany this afternoon. The Comma’' li-r-in-Chief in a message to the troops referred to Americans deep affection i*or the Allies and expressed the hope that the good conduct oi t root’s would efface all thought of ijitterness on the part of the population. FRANCE BLOCKED. (Received tins dav at * a.m.) PARTS. Jan. 25. France has decided to stop diverting coal trains from Germany to Belgium and France, as she finds the difficulties which Germany puts in the way. are too great and are resulting in the lines being blocked. There will be delay in securing coal for France until a system —• is established by which French railwavmen can 1 o used. COURTMARTTA L. (Received this dav at ? a.m) •». BERLIN, Jan. 25 > When the courtmartinl resumed. Grimm, who is a well-known pacifist and conscientious objector excused from military service in war time, acknowledged'the Court’s courtesy and pleaded it was a case of force majeure. ns far as the accused were concerned. The Court recorded a fine of live thousand francs on Thyssens. and fines ranging from six- thousand to two hundred and twenty-four thousand against five other _ accused. - • Thvssen’s workers resumed after ye - terdav’s protest. The strike was designed to show the unity of sixty-hve thousand men. Stinnes mines are also w* v 1 :*»*■;