Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-09
AFFAIR
LAID TO AGITATION
OF HUN STUDENTS
Machine Gun Was Unwittingly
Fired by Excited French Sol
dicr, Officer Says.
SITUATION LESS TENSE
ny Aesoclated prsss . 80 Evenlns

By Associated Press 70 Every bvenins
Frankfort, April S.--Amertion that
there was no intention 20 FIRE 4 mschinc
grn into a crowd here on "Wednesday and
that the incident vas really nishap
il made by a French officer who witnessed
Il. Fear OF a French soldier that the
crowd intended 70 rush the patrol in the
street led 70 the tragedy.
This man. II Is declared. put belt 81
cartridges into the gun. intending - hre
one shot 70 dispersc the crowd. Tho
explosion Of the frst cartridge, however
caused the soldier % lose his head ard
the whole belt was fred The office
explained that every care had been taken
20 prevent 3 repetition ~ the accident
Inspection OF the 80 machine glnf
brought % Frankfort By French troop
has been and IL Is said none ~ them
was found defective or to show b teudenc1-
20 Gre upon the insertion % the csrtridse
belt All were used during the war.
Twenty ~ those who we're hit during the
flsiIlade we're only slightly wounded and
were able % walk % their homes.
Two new French proclamation ap-
peared here today, one denying Yesterday
1irnor that the troops would be Withdrawn
and the other forbidding the people ~ jeer
and antstc against the troops and
instrIcting the citizens 70 obey az French
military orders.
Blame for Wednesdays tragedy s
placed on German students BY the French
who declare they tired up the people
Discussing the presence a French csloysd
troops in the city, a French officer tod
The Associated Press today BE- did mot
believe II would lead 70 trouble H.
praised them highly for their sfoiid
qualities, and said they were very amen
able 20 discipline
The tan on the publication u news
paers was removed tbs morning and
several printed editions later IN the day
Journals viii not be subject 20 censorship
French officers declare, Il they refrs N from
printing articles tending 70 IncIte ths
reopis 70 disorder.
A press bureau has been established hy
the French, and il il i hung a picture of
q ruined Greuch village. This picture
bears the caption: Germany bas raw
aged France"
Frankfort. April g.
Complaint Of lazity Of the police force
Of this city and it's failure 20 control
crowds was made 20 the chief of police
today by the commander of French
troops here. The chief was gwen until
Friday noon 70 communicate the results
Of hrs Investigations and issue more
stringent instructions.
The c9uapiint rallsd attention the fact
that a cycle chasseur had been injured
when thrown from hss machine BY a
crowd which had taken the mans car
hine Such incidents. II was pointrd out.
were 10 he regarded as insults 20 the
French army.
4 steady rain falling tins morning
which kept the populsee of the streets
was hailed with delight by the french
military authorities. They expressed
relief that the night had passed quietly
No further disturbances we're reported
+ any where q the occupied region, and the
tension which resulted from the Schiller
platz incident had markedly relaxed.
though the populace was still extremely
nervous.
A French courier on a motorcycle
whizzing through the principal streets
{ today caused considerable excitement
+ Pedestrians scattered and ran 10 cover
when they mistook staccato hackhre eX-
plosions from the MOTORCYCLES for machine
+ gun FIRE.
An additional division OF French tru0ps
was being brought into the Frankfort
/ district today but General De Nlets.
I the commanding officer here. informed
! The Associated Press that there wogl
/ be 40 further extension OF the occupied
zone at this time.
In this conversation the French atutude
/ viii be based first on maintenance 81 The
entente and second on strict execution 81
the treaty u Versailles.
The French, although declaring them
selves not satisfied with some Of the term
of the treaty. accepted It as finally signeo
and now consider il a sort Of charter as re-
CARDS relations with Germany. Great
t~n,fswttad IN ~arg 4