Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1920-04-14
RHINE CITIES ARE
SEIZED BY FRENCH
FOch Orders the Occupation OF
Frankfort and 0armsta6t.
NO RESISTANCE is SHOWN
Proclamation Gives Strict Rules fer
Civilians and Threatens Punish
raent-Tanks are Placed at
Strategic Points.


Mayence. April French troops
entered Frankfort AZ five o'clOck In
the morning. finding only small Ger
man force. left there 20 afford police
protection for the people. The occupa-
ton Of the city was a mere military
march and was not attended by any
fighting.
Darmstadt. Hanau. Homhurg and
Duisburg were entereL shortly after
ward by French forces. The German
government garrison ~ that city had
left az midnight 20 avoid contact with
the French and was six miles east Of
teh city.
General Degoutte has issued n proc
lamation 20 cities and towns within
the AREA 10 be occupied. declaring
French troops have crossed the Rhine
20 compel the Berlin government To re-
spect its agreement with the allies and
asserting there i NJ hostile intent to-
ward the people u that region.
Promise to Withdraw.
The proclamation says the French
troops viii withdraw as soon as Ger
mar government forces have evucu-
ated the neutral zone AMI declares no
oue will be affected by tle presence
81 the French as long rs order Is main
tanned
Al . - in the morning French tanks
entered Frankfurt. They were follow
81 by battalion % sharpshooters and
= company % engineers. and these
tro0pS occupied strategic points aud
the railroad station. Half dozen
tanks were posted near the station and
the barracks and another force WAS
stationed near police headquarters
and the post Office. These troops
held the important entrances 10 the
city until nine o'clock. when a bat
talon - chasseurs detraIned at the
station
Stirring Scenes at msyenes.
PARA. April T.-Erench soldiers oc-
cupy the German cities % Frankfort
al Mains aud Darmstadt. 10 miles
south. Forces commanded by Cen
sral Desoutts. which have been hold
gug the Mayence bridgehead. were or
dsred forward by Marshal Foch fol-
lowing the efforts on the part - the
wrench government to induce the Ber-
lao government 90 withdraw its forces
from the neutral zone along the east
eru bank % the Rhine. wh,re lhey had
been ordered 70 disperse c,smmunistic
units that for the last fortnight have
conducted revolt in the Ruhr vallsS.
Germany Must Pay Bill.
chief Interest In the situation. as
evidenced by newspapers here, Is
whether the allies Will support France
aud 80 what extent. This query was
t.ut 90 Premier Mnierand by the Echo
81 Paris last night. the premier an
sWeriug:
England Wa victorious. and - was
France. am confident everything
We work out perfectly"
Asked who would pay the expense
Incident % occupation. NJ. MIllerand
replied;
why. Germany. obviously. since i
was she that ~ her acts obliged Us
% resort 20 coercion"
Notifies Charge c'Anaires.
Premier Mlllerand formally notified
nr. Won Mayer. the German charge
d'nRaires Of the action OF the French
government In ordering the advance
and Informed him that rs soon as
there had been complete evacuation
u the neutral zone by the German
troops the French would evacuate the
cities they had been ordered 20 occupy.
Marshal Foch had a conference with
Premier MiIlerand. Later the premier
received Hugh c. Wallace. the Amer
lean ambassador.