The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-03-10
U. s. SOLDIERS
|. ON Rhine ARE
STANDING PAT
State Department Adopts
Same Attitude - Allied
Forces Have Virtually Com
pleted Occupation of Ports.
EXPORTERS CLAIM RUIN
tsy Associated Press,

WASHINGTON. March 1o.-Ameri-
can troops on the Rhine are standing
pat Secretary Weeks said today and
a similar attitude as to the Rhine SIT,
uation growing out of the occupation
of additional German cities by the al.
lies were expressed by the state de-
partment
No additional instructions have been
sent to Major General Allen, com
manding the American forces it was
said at the state department and no
inquiries have been made of the allied
governments regarding the penalties
to be imposed upon Germany which
include collection of custom duties at
| the new line established on the Rhine
and their payment to the reparations
committee.
American troops, it was pointed out,
occupy their position in Germany un-
der the terms of the armistice and not
for the fulfillment of the Versailles
treaty. Consequently it was consid
cred unlikely that the state depart
ment would approve any plan by
which they would assist in making the
proposed tariff barriers around Ger
many effective.
ALLIED MILITARY HEADQUAR-
TIERS, NEUSS, March 10-Allied
forces have virtually completed the
occupation Of the Rhine ports of the
Ruhr region, all that remains to be
| done being the seizure of a few Will
ages and important cross roads. AS
yet commanding officers have not ar
ranged for a division Of the occupied
hAtxr h. prs4, r.. D1r~
French units gathered along the east
ern side of the Rhine.
Issues Proclamation.
General Gaucher, in direction Of the
| French units here, has issued a pro-
clamation saying in substance that
| the German delegates at the London
conference showed unwillingness to
| observe the Versailles treaty, and that
| the allies were forced to coerce the
| Grman government to fulfill its obli-
| cations.
! He has laid emphasis on the fact
that occupation is in no sense a hos
tile act toward the population and that
! not only was freedom to work guar
anteed. but the allied authorities
would do their best to improve the
| condition of the people and assure an
ample food supply. He has stated,
! however. that the people must obey
any regulation that may be laid down.
| People of the middle and working
| classes fear there will be an increase
! in the cost of living They are laying
| in stocks of provisions and are be
is expressed that stocks of food will
be rapidly exhausted.
Kints that work throughout the Ruhr
district of Germany will cease within
the next few days as the immediate
Dusseldorf and Ruhrort and the seiz-
ure of customs were made by German
mine operators, civil officials and
workmen here last night.
There seemed to be little unrest
among workingmen last evening after
they had finished full days work.
however, and thousands gathered on
the streets to watch curiously the
French machine guns and tanks. They
appeared quite cheerful and showed
no resentment at the presence Of al
lied troops. --.
Strike Not Expected.
Well informed allied officials de-
clared they did not believe there would
be a strike in the Ruhr district, one
a sserting: 1.-The people co not intend
to strike. Communists are pointing
i toward Russia as Germany's saliva
ton, but workingmen already have re-
pudiated that idea and will repudiate
it again. Approximately $4,000 tons
of merchandise was handled here to-
day. This was only half of the mer-
chandise tonnage carried daily when
the port held the worlds record but
business is not at standstill here,
and think 1t never will stop"
Germans declared it impossible to
divert the heavy Rhine commerce
overland outside Of the occupied zone
so as to avoid the customs zone. and
they expressed themselves as being
firmly convinced that those directly
affected would abandon competition In
the world markets because of the high
, prices, unless they were aided by the
Berlin government. They admitted
, they thought this extension of help
!, was possible. ...-.
Claim Ruin.
Allied officials had not been inform
ed as to the procedure planned for the
administration of the new custom
zone. They were of the opinion that
. some commerce from the interior OF
Germany might be diverted from the
Rhine. but they declared the most Of
it was bound to- flow through this dis
trict. They were emphatic in their
: assertions that German business mer
I would not be ruined by the penaitie1
Il placed on Germany by the allies.
u Two thousand Belgian and French
, troops are billeted in Duisburg. and
p French and British gunboats are
: anchored In the Rhine and RIfhr rivers
lf IL = n