New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-02
Penalties on
Rhine Assailed
I'm Reich STAG,
Opposition Leaders Demand
Allies Lift Sanctions Inn
posed TO Bring Germany
to Terms; Threats Made
Rosen Aids Government
Declares Britain and Italy
Oppose the French Policy
of Continuing Restrictions
BY Wireless to The Tribune

Copyright, 4sGl. New York Tribune Inc.
BERLIN, July i.-oppositiou leaders
in the Reichstag to-day forced dis
cussion on the floor of their demands
for the withdrawal of the penalties in
aicted by the Allies on the Rhine two
months ago to bring Germany to
terms. Foreign Minister Rosen, in his
maiden speech, defended the govern
nent's course and pointed out that the
Chancellor was doing ell in his power
through diplomatic channels to induce
the Allies to lift the sanctions. He
brought out that Great Britain and
Italy were opposed to the French
policy Of continuing the penalties.
The big gun of the battle for the op-
position was fred by Deputy Zapf, of
the German Peoples party, who, in
stead of dwelling as Rosen did on the
chief point at issue-the economic and
political damage done to Germany by
the sanctions-went off into a discus
sion of what individual Frenchmen and
French newspapers thought about the
penalties, and led up to the charge that
France was pursuing policy that
meant
Of the Rhine. Herr Zapf went as far
back as the seventeenth century to
support his assertions, and made &C
cusations against France similar to
those heretofore always directed at
the architects of the invasion of Bel
GUM and the treaty Of Brest-Litovsk.
Would Force Evacuation
Herr Zapf threatened many dire
mediately lifted. He demanded aggres-
sive action On the part of the govern
ment to force France TO evacuate the
Rhineland.
Chancellor Wirth, who was on the
government bench, smiled at this re-
mark and shrugged his shoulders.
Foreign Minister Rosen, replying to
the Interpolation, told the Reichstag
that the government was doing all in
its power to lift the sanctions. He as
sailed the continued maintenance of
the penalties as q violation Of the
Treaty Of Versailles as we'll as of
,Germany's rights after she had &C
cepted the Allied ultimatum. Pointing
out the sharp differences between the
: attitudes of England and Italy, as ex-
pressed by Lord Curzon and Count
O4OFZd, anu LiIat S1 rGuCSy aS OukliueQ
by Premier BRAND, Rosen said:
1--WE have followed in every way Lord
Curzon's admonition to carry out our
obligations under the terms of the ul-
timatum. Our readiness to find the
best possible means of fulfilling our
economic obligations cannot be more
clearly proved than in the negotiations
carried on by my colleague DIR. Ra-
thenua (Minister of Reconstruction) in
Wiesbaden.
Weakening Capacity TO Pay
"We must, however, If we cannot
rely on the other sides spirit of JUS
tice, in which one is sometimes com
PEELED to doubt, appeal to their sense
Of practical reality. The other side
must finally recognize the senseless-
ness Of placing a tremendous repara-
tons burden on Germany and at the
same time maintaining measures which
aggravate and increasingly weaken Ger
many's capacity to pay.
We don't want to give up hope that
France, too, will come to realize that
the lifting of the sanctions is not only
question of justice but also one Of
common sense as far az the interests
of those who wish to see the fulfill
ment of the reparation payments are
concerned"