GERMAN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 March 1923, Page 3

GERMAN ITEMS

[I)Y TELEGRAJ’H —I-I.TI I'RKS.S ASSOCIATION. | FRESH HOPES. LONDON. March 27. Despite M. Poincare's reiterations that Franco will not tolerate mediation or the evacuation of the Ruhr until the reparations rpiestiun is settled, it is persistently declared that repre- % septntives of Belgium. Italy, and other interested Powers at u meeting at Milan, will discuss various a.spec ts of the occupation. The “Daily Telegraph” declares that Signor Mussolini through ambassadorial channels, has urged the German Government to make a linn offer to the «

SIGNOR. MUSOLINI. PARIS. .March AS. Signor Mussolini has agreed to meet KMM lingo Sliitnes ;d Milan. HERMAN ATTITUDE. BERLIN. March 28. Herr Rosenberg informed the Foreign Affairs Committee that Germany was / ready to accept Mr Hughes’ proposal that.an International Conference of business men, including French and Germans, be held to decide, bow Oerniany should fulfill her reparations obligations. In that case. Germany would he ready to take up a large international loan giving all the guarantees demanded, and immediately paying all money advanced to France; hut the 2 Ruhr must, lie evacuated prior to the negotiations. Passive resistance was Germany’s only weapon and it must he continued until then. LONDON. March 28. lferr Becker (tier Minister of Economies') said to the “Daily lel"graph’s” correspondent: “Wo shall not reach a- negotiation stage until I 1 ranee signifies her willingness to negotiate. Germany dues not expect T ranee to inaugurate negotiations, but. if she is rt ,;yJR there are wavs and means of malMt her readiness known. Germany is able to continue her present policy owing to the Ruhr occupation not causing the serious, efleets at liist anticipated. POINCARE’S ATTITUDE. ' PARIS March 2rt YL Poincare ■ nt-uking at a meeting of the Finance ConuTi.ssion admitted the eeonomie results of the occupation of Ruhr have lieen so far not important owing to the difficulties encountered through Germany's policy of unwillingnoss. Only a prolonged oceupntion would enable France to solve t uprohlem.s. France would not listen to proposals from neutral or Allied smuees. Me felt certain that: no .allied country would make such proposals. Evacuation would only he considered when the reparations problem was solv- ■ v. BOAT CAPTAIN. HEREIN, March 21 In eonneetion with the French arrest of Otto Steinbrinck, commander of tlic submarine which sank the Sussex in March, 1 DIG, Steinbrinck's submarine on one trip sunk 22 ships, lie -was included in the French list of war criminals, hut hitherto had escaped arrest.

FRENCH DISCOVERY. (Received this day at 9.15 a.in.) DUSSELDORF, March 27. The French have discovered a secret German customs bureau in a private house and arrested 25 officials whom they found there, also a German shopkeeper who had come to |>av taxes to Germany, instead ol to !'ranee. GERMAN PASSENGER TRADE. NEARLY DOWN TO ZERO. (Received this day at 9.25 a.in.) PARTS. March 28. The statistics of Suez Canal passenger traffic for T 922 illustrate the effoct of the war on German shipping, if" "There- were only 500 passengers carried oil German ships compared with 25.000 in 1910. A large proportion of the traffic has gone to the Dutch Lines. The British carried 9.1,000 or 59 per cent of the total. It is noteworthy .that the British had 92 per cent of the Indian, and 94 pd'N cut of the Australian traffic. The German traffic to Australia, and Austria to India, completely disappeared. \ TheW.-erinnn traffic, to China and dapan, which was 31 per cent in 1911. shrunk to one per cent.