Evening star., 1920-03-31
FRANCE REFUSES
GERMAN REQUEST
IN RUHR CRISIS
Allies Not Consulted in De-
ciSion to Bar Government
Troops From Region.
BERLIN ULTIMATUM TO
WORKERS DISREGARDED
Socialists Demand That Govern
ment Suspend Military Measures
on Pain of General Strike.
By the Associated Press.

| By the Associated Press
| PARIS. March 31.-The request of
the German government that IL he
permitted to send troops 10 the Ruhr
district in the neutral zone near the
German border has been denied bv
the government OF France.
Conversations over the German re-
quest have been in progress between
Premier Millerand and DIR. Won Mayer.
the German charge d'affaires in Paris
NJ MiIlerand yesterday indicated he
would give the German charge an
early reply, and it was handed TO DIR.
Won Mayer today. The reply read:
Replying to your note of yester-
/ day. | have the honor to confirm TO
you the conditions to which the gov
! ernment of the French republic de-
sires to subordinate its eventual au-
| thoriZation TO permit German troops
! to enter the Ruhr valley.
Move Held Dangerous.
Such an authorization. which would
constitute derogation of articles 4s
and A of the treaty of Versailles.
could be justified only by imperative
and evident necessity. The commits
sion charged with the control of the
4
/ II, 1919, has expressed to me, as ]
informed you in our conversation
yesterday, its formal opinion, con-
| firmed also from other sources. that
military Intervention in that region
at present would be useless as well
as dangerous
Thus, circumstances do not permit
me at this time TO grant the request
of your government. i must, therefore,
reserve my definite reply to the propo-
e-st ~ f,1< A.. 1arr
Premier Millerand concluded by ex-
pressing the earnest desire OF the
French government to do everything
not inconsistent with the defense of
French interests 10 facilitate the task
Of the German government.
Action Significant.
The direct negotiations between the
French and German governments,
without the participation of the other
allies. developed in the exchange of
communications today concerning the
question OF the occupation of the
Ruhr valley. are regarded here as of
| extraordinary significance.
! Dr. Won Mayer. the German charge.
made his request for permission TO
send troops in the Ruhr region to the
French government alone and to NJ.
Millerand as premier of France. and
not as a member of the allied supreme
council. Premier Millerand's refusal
OF the request. delivered today, is in
the name of the government of the
French republic. without allusion to
the entente powers.
Gen. Maurice No,let, head of the in
terallfed commission at Berlin, re-
viewed the general situation in Ger
| many before the conference of am
baSsadors today.
Eyes Centered on Ruhr.
BERLIN. March 3I.-Au eyes today
amt ha rfciC ir ha
Ruhr region. The general strike
movement. however. has broken out
! only at a few places. such as Bochum
and Elberfeld. SO far as the early
| Zeitung reports the passage of num-
erous workmens troops through
! Elberfeld. some of them going north
| to reinforce the troops already at the
! 'front.' while some others. who had
been disbanded, are trying to make
their way home again.
The general strike at Hagen has
again been called off In Dusseldorf
| zoo revolutionists evacuated the town
hall Ii is said, as the result of nego-
tiations with the authorities. Rail
way officials and Christian social
workers in the strike region have be-
gun a counter strike against the
spartacans, according TO messages
from the district.
Ultimntum Disregarded.
A report from the military mead
quarters of the rebels at Muenster
says the governments ultimatum has
been generally disregarded by the In
SurgentS. Attacks on the northern
part of the front are continuing and
reinforcements have been brought UP
for the insurgents army.
A report from Buer. in the Essen
region. says that up to Tuesday
morning there were no government
troops south of the River Lippe,
which runs in a westerly direction
through Westphalia well to the north
OF Essen but that strong patrols of
regulars had crossed the Lppe TO
Dorten, thirteen miles north Of Essen.
during the day on TUESDAY. The
rebels, however, were reported TO
have blown up the Lippe bridge. and.
according to spartacan report, the
regulars at Dorten were defeated.
The socialists at Barmen, according
TO the Lokal Anzeiger replied to the .
governments ultimatum with a gem
eral strike in the Wupper valley. IL
is expected that the government
council at Dusseldorf, which had
been dismissed, has been refnstated.
Socialist UItimatum.
Leaders Of the three socialist parties
here have sent an ultimatum to the
government requesting that IL respect
the Biezefeld convention and imme-
diateiv suspend all military measures
in the RuDr Sdllty- l. ne government
is given until ) O'Clock Thursday
afternoon to accept or reject this de-
mand. should IL be rejected an i'm
mediate proclamation of general
strike will follow, Chairman Mueller
was informed by a socialist delega-
ton.
The executive council of workers in
the Ruhr district at the last minute
accepted some notifications of the
governments ultimatum. according TO
the Gazette, and government troops
have received orders to await new in
structions.
Troops Pushed Forward.
Government troops in the Ruhr
region have been pushed forward, the
time limit fixed in the ultimatum
from the government to the workers
there having been reached, says a
dispatch to the Abendblatt.
Confidence in the governments dec
larations has been voted by the Prus-
sian assembly, which has voiced its
approval of steps taken in the recent
past by the government.
Removal of the Urhardt naval
brigade which took part in the Kap-
pist revolt from Doeberitz. has been
prevented because of opposition from
railway men In the Altoona district.
Revolt Leaders Confer.
DUSSELDORF. March 30.--The revo-
lutionary leaders i'm the Ruhr district
have been in secret session virtually un-
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