Evening star., 1920-04-05
FRENCH ON ALERT
ORDERS REGARDING
GERMANS IN RUHR
10000 Reported at Basin
Despite Word Coming
From Berlin.

PARIS. April : tby the Associ-
ated Pressp.-The utmost secrecy
is being maintained I'm Official cir
cies concerning the nature of the
"military precautions" which Pre-
mier Millerand has instructed
Marshal Foch 10 take In The Rhine
occupation zone. = rumor WAS cur
rent in Paris throughout this aft
crnOon that Gen. de t.outtcs' army
began moving from Mayrncc and
Wfesbaden upon Frankfort this
morning. hut the war office
fused either to confirm deny
the report.
All officers and soldiers on Easter
holiday leaves have been ordered
10 join their units immediateiX
and the local police I'm the various
cities of France haNr been Ia
structed to inform those on leave
to return without delay.
France has four classes of mru
those OF from 1915 10 1919. in
clusive-stili under arms. or about
sO0,0OO men. No other class has
been recalled and no effort made
to increase the effectives besides
the cancellation of all leaves.
PARIS, April tby the Associated
Press). - French military measures
destined to force the German govern
ment TO Withdraw its troops from the
Ruhr basin are now entirely I'm the
hands of Marshal Foch. it was said
at the foreign office today
1t is advanced in some well inform
ed quarters that occupation Of
Frankfort. Darmstadt. Hombufg and
Hanau is unlikely to exercise sur
ficient pressure upon the Germans,
since they may well argue that this
occupation is distaS;eful to the
French as well as TO themselves and
continue indefinitely. on the
other hand the expense of the opera
tion Games up as a vital question in
the present state of French finances.
Yhe newspapers recall war tributes
imposed by German troops upon
French and Belgian cities. and sug-
gest similar measures being applied
to German cities occupied by French
troops.
TrOODS I nder sAlert" Orders.
Dispatches from Wiesbaden saying
that Gen. De Goutte's forces are under
alert orders are explained as not
meaning an immediate ad-
vance, but complete readiness to move
forward unless Berlin promptly re-
calls the troops which have entered
tne Runr ulstrlct against protcsts
from France.
No censorship has been established
here on news of the intended opera
tion, but since the matter now is en-
tirely in the hands of Marshal Foch.
from the army prob
ably will be surrounded with the
usual precautions. although the op-
Grafton is not considered on a basis
of war.
The latest information reaching the
foreign office confirms its belief that.
despite the assurance officially given
by the Germans that only a very
limited number of troops had been
sent to the Ruhr, in reality the num-
Der amounts to an army of 10000
men.
All information from the country
on the Euhr basin, il was
said at the foreign office today. tends
to prove there was no necessity of
sending an army into the Ruhr, az
the workers and communists were eX-
hausted and without money. food or
Confirmatory informa
tion had also been received that the
in the industrial region was
not bolshevik in nature. although
many aliens were involved. and was
essentially anti -militaristic.
May Cross Border Today.
Havas).-French troops. comman nd
toned along the Rhine, are prepared
to enter German territory this morn
ing according to the WieSbaden cor
of the Matin. II is re-
ported that the French government
has decided to occupy cities on the
right bank of the Rhine as a reprisal
for the movement of German govern
ment troops into the neutral zone
fix ed by the Versailles treaty. No Of
ficial announcement has been made OF
such an order. however.
Newspapers continue to discuss the
situation resulting from the entry or
German government troops in the
Ruhr basin, and the Petit Parisien de-
clares the indications given by the
German note concerning these forces
do not correspond with the informa-
ton received by Marshal Foch. De
mand is made by the Journal that the
expenses of the occupation be borne
by the Germans. and II is suggested
that cities occupied be taxed to make
up this amount.
British Will Not Occupy.
The British government will decline
to Cooperate in the occupation or
Frankfort. Darmstad and other Ger
nan cities. according to the London
of the Petit Parisien.
but will. he says, ''favorably follow
he action of France. realizing the I'M
,ortance of the situation"
In the southern part OF the Runr ais
-rict. says the Echo de Paris. the
German government troops have ad-
ranced without resistance. but have
serious opposition in the
central portion of the Ruhr basin.
Two hundred persons have been kill
I'd in a fight near Duisburg. accord
ng to information reaching this city.
Joint Note Sent Millernnd.
PARIS, April 4.-Wilhelm Won
Nayer. the German charge d'affaires.
and Dr. Goeppert. head of the German
oeace commission, sent an Identical
note to Premier Millerand this aft
arnoon in the latter's double capacity
as premier and foreign minister and
president of the peace conference.
rhe note sought to belittle the i'm
,ortance of the movement of Ger
nan troops into the Ruhr region. the
number of which il asserted had been
exaggerated. The note declared there
vas no necessity for the application
If the guarantees demanded hN
France il being stated that the pres
.nce Of the extra numbers of reichs-
yehr in the Ruhr district would not
De prolonged.
NJ Nilierand this afternoon con
erred with Marshal Foch.
Easter Peace mt DufsburE.
DUISBCRG. Rhenish Prussia, April
(bv the Associated Press).-EasteT
,roupht real peace to DuiSburg. After
,eayy fighting. the government troops.
which reached here early yesterday.
we're today combing the industrial