FRANCE & REPARATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1923, Page 3

FRANCE & REPARATIONS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LORD CECIL’S APPEAL. Received this day at 12.2 d p.m.) PARIS, March 12. ■Lord Robert Cecil, speaking at Sorbonne, advised France to confide *i> tho League of Nations for a settlement of tin* grave problem of reparations. The essential principles of the ■League were those of L ranee, that i* liberty, equality. and I rnternity. In applying these principles, the League respected the sovereignty and liberty of all nations, lie feared Franco had not sufficient confidence in the morale pressure. Tier sentiments was that nothing could he done except by cannon and ritlos. Napoleon had said that four fifths of his success was do.- to the power of moral forces, but. in peace five fifths depended on moral forces. There was a strong feeling in England in favour of the League of Nations, lie appealed to French L Diversity men to encourage a similar feeling m France.

THE BUER MURDERS

(Received this dav at 9.20 n.m.) PARIS, March 12

The dead bodies of Coltiii, and a. railway expert named .levy, were found laid side by side oil the pavement at liner. They had been shot with revolvers from behind, by men lying in ambush. Several prominent citizens beside the burgomaster and chief of Police are held as hostages. All kineniiis and cafes are closed. The townsfolk are forbidden to use the streets, after seven o’clock. The town was fined one hundred million marks. The murders caused intense excitement in Ruhr as nu entirely new departure from the (Herman campaign. It is feared it shows that (Herman nationalists are embarking on a guerilla warfare as

threatened, especially as Recklinghausen is the hotbed of anti-French sentiment. A secret society called Young Germans Association lias headquarters at Recklinghausen and the police force suspect them.

FURTHER 15UICR. SHOOTINGS (Received this dav at 11.20 a.m.l PARIS. March 12.

Details of Buer shootings show some French Inspectors arrested a (Herman nationalist who recently declared he intended to kill some Frenchmen. While the inspectors with the prisoner and another German, suspected of being an accomplice in the murder of Coltiu and Jely, were escorting them to a French post, they attempted to escape. A hostile crowd afterwards attacked the French post, which was compelled to fire, killing five of the attackers. A GERMAN STATEMENT. BERLIN, March 12. Government officially declare that Hie French officers killed at Baer were done to death by a couple of French sold iers. TO BE AVENGED. PARIS. March 1.2. M, Poincare in a speech declared the Filler crime would be mercilessly avenged. Flo intended to discuss with Genera] 1 logontto at the Brussels meeting, a measure to suppress German nationalist organisation.

SHOOTINGS AT BEIL Received this day at 12.25 p.m.) BERLIN, March 12.

Three residents of Buer, disobeying ll„, ('•••■ r-w- order were shot dead by a French patrol. , . It is reported from Dormund that one resident was killed and two critically wounded during firing between Germans and French.