FRANCE & GERMANY

Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1923, Page 2

FRANCE & GERMANY

[i)V IELECHAI'II —PER PUESS ASSOCIATION] FREXC'H IXTKXTIOXS. PARIS, March 4. Al. Mnginot (.Minister of War) in a speech in the Senate justified France’s plans for a standing army of 000,000. France must assure a watch on the Rhine in such a way that on the outbreak of hostilities she would he able to move a strategic force against the enemy’s territory. The victory over Germany in 1918 afforded France an advantage she cannot renounce. Germany was only partially disarmed materially and she was in no way disarmed morally. She was awaiting revenge and munitions of war were being accumulated secretly. For France, the payment of reparations in full was a matter of life or death. To obtain that payment she must be in a position to take certain measures of coercion, under such conditions that it would he impossible for Germany to resist.

A GERAIAX MOVE. PARIS, March 4. The “Matin’s” Reval correspondent states that the Soviet granted a man firm permision to organise -an aerial service between Stockholm and Persia. Also to take panoramic maps of Russia from aeroplanes. The Deutueh Rank and Stitines will provide the funds for the scheme, which is the development of a successful attempt made l, in 1922 to connect the Baltic and Caspian Seas by steamer. MIXED TRIBUNAL. PARIS, Marsh L The Franco-German mixed tribunal which was established by A vide 304 of the Ponce Treaty, has rppo-nted neutral judges, replacing the Goman member who has been mstr let-d from Berlin that he is to withd aw y FREXCH AND COAL TAX. I.OXDOX. Alarch 5. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Dusseldorf correspondent states: “The French have* made all administrative arrangemilts for collecting a forty per cent coal tax. A mixed arbitration commission will calculate the marks fortnightlv. which afterwards will lie valued in dollars. On the 15th of each month the tax must he paid to the bank, at least 30 per cent, being in American. English, or other approved currencies. If the mine owners do not nav within 15 days, coal equivalenC~to^ the tax. plus fifty per cent., will bo seized. Ten days later the private propertv of the defaulter mil be seized. If the tax is still unpaid within a month, the defaulter will be kept in prison until it is paid.”