The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-11
NO GERMAN ARMY
IN NEUTRAL ZONE
nv Kari III. Won Wiegand


E,ssen April 10.--In company with
IN official American investigator
vbo had been structed TO make An
5rteuendent and impartial report u.
he situation in the Ruhr district.
nave lust completed a two-day mo1"f
our Of what is known as the ma US
rial heart Of Germany. MY enof .
..ro in the direction o. establishing
IA. number of troops IN the neurai
lone the real extent of the insurrec-
ionarv movement and general conan
ions. r.uxx
We visited Dusseldorf, Duisoerg'
aamhorn. Ruhrort. Diensuaken,
aasal Rottrop.. Essen, Mueiheiu,
Rat!ngen and other points IN the 90
Ter OF the disturbed section me
main impressions obtained ana tue
conclusions reached on hht
established were:
the alleged vast red army IN tne
l1tuhr district does not exist me
government troops in the neutral zohe
IN number, quality ana eaulp'i'sAit'
ran by no stretch OF the inaslhation
be construed as a menace TO France
Technical violation of the treaty OF
Versailles hy Germany can be estao-
nshcd but not in practical erect o'
annarent hostile intent The reNoln~
t;cnarv movement was quite extern
si,,n and nurposea disassociauon from
The central government with n SOY iet
tepubiic in the Ruhr as a poil''cal
am supported by red army mum
between 5000 and 10000 men
control OF this army/ceirg very nh-
certain. .Ao
pussiaon soviet government and the
pnhr insurrecuon has not yet peeh
Conditions made neceNsarv the use
ri TIE military force TO re~es1abiisl
the authority of the constitutions
government. 49,
German government, maintaining nc
constitutional authority in the kuhr
Industrial region, and II necessary
meeting force with force VIII, IL
sustained, tend TO make the neutral
zone the chief incubator In Europe
for the worst forms OF faoieaiiSiiI
The Ruhr industrial region upon
which Germany is so largely oepen-
dent for the fuifllment OF the lnaus-
trial provisions OF the peace reaS' "a
FOR the moment generally quiet again
since Thursday, when the relch
xwehr entered Essen without oppesl~
lion and re-esta blished law ana oruer'
and the authority OF the central gov
eminent, the forests OF cnlmn.Ss
throughout the region are betchihs
smoke again Almost normal Goa,
production has~been resumed ana
wotk has been taken up again every
where. -.
The government with the aid OF
the reichswehr. has the situation well
in hand excepting in the south, where
in Dusseldorf Elberfeld and Barmen'
the radical workmen's councils re
main in control, but even there II
uuiet and work has been resumed.
The Berlin government has prac-
titally delayed the advance of the
troops in expectation that the con-
stituted authorities in those cities will
he reinstated through negotiations. In
dusseldorf a city of nearly 100000
population. the mayor and all the
municipal officers have been restored
ia office. but the radicals maintain
their own local guard members OF
which patrol the streets with rifies
without regard to the local police
whom they practically ignore. The
tnayor and chief of police are unable
tc enforce all the city ordinances.
Something like a skeleton organiza-
tion nf the dishanded red army con-
tnues 10 exist in Dusseldorf. where
we found eight motor trucks in front
of headquarters. The government
troops have not yet reached Dussei-
dorf
In Elheraeld Barmen. Reinscheid
and Dusseldorf, a more or less dual
municipal government exists, the reg
ularly constituted authorities being m
able in the main to enforce their au-
thority in the absence OF government
troops although no disorder prevails.
The government has no army in the
neutral zone II has not even what
would be an American war strength d.
visions in the Ruhr. The numbers nave
been greatly exaggerated, partly for
tie moral effect on the insurgents.
partly by the radical press for propa-
ganda against the government. In
ore town reported to have been takan.
by 1000 reichswehr troops we found
just 400.
Majo General kabiseh. commanding
the northern section of the Ruhr: Col
onel Won Baumbach. OF the Essen sec
.taEoasand. her 80, CON- p,dara, -. freelyS
Continued on Faye Two)