Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-19
ALLIED ADVANCE
PLANNED IN LONDON
Movement of Troops 80 Miles
Eastward Made to En-
force Blockade
FRONT NOW NEAR ESSEN
BY the Associated Press


the Mulhcim and Spcldorf ruilwaY sta
tions in the Ruhr district of Germany
by French troops was simply a further
step in the plan adopted by the London
reparatiOns conference. il was CX.
planned in official circles here today.
The stations command tn" approaches
TO the Rhine and their possession was
necessary TO make the allied occupation
effective, it was added.
Dusseldorf, March 1a-The occu
patton area has been extended from
DuiSburg to stations all along tho rail-
road running from DuiSburg to Essen
to within two nnd a half miles of Essen
ihe central freight yard at Wedau.
the largest in the Ruhr district. and
Mulheim station arc guarded By French
troops. Dusseldorf j. uuiet
number Of manufacturers ard bust
ness men are moving their Offices tO
Berlin, Hanover and other interior
cities of Germany and some are trans
terrlng their entire plants. Many
wealthy persons also are moving into
the interior
Business in Dusseldorf is extremely
dull and the restaurants are rrnpty. hut
many Frenchmen and their families are
beginning to crowd the shopping dis
tricts.
Berlin. March 19.-Franro- Belgian
troops have occupied the western quar-
ter Of Mulheim- on Ruhr and the rail-
way station at Speldorf. Other small
allied forces have occupied the west
railway station at Oborhauscn and locks
in the vicinity OF the Emscher canal.
THE advance of the allied troops
20 within two and a half miles Of
OF approximately thirty miles Nul-
helm station is about fifteen miles be-
yond Duisburg and the same distance
from Essen. OborhauScn is about ten
miles north Of Mulhcim and also mid
way between Essen and the Rhine.
The recent entry Of some armed
British ships in German harbors. il
was announced in the Reirhstag ycstpr.
day. Is seriously engaging the attention
OF the German Government in Wow Of
the gravity Of the principle involved. "
Chancellor FehrenbaCh urged the
speedy passage of the disarmament bill.
warning that delay. for which neither
he nor the government could take the
responsibility, would entail danger
A Reichstag committee is discussing
the measure.
The Reichstag has adopted reso =
luton providing for classroom study OF
the Versailles peace treaty in the nd
vnnced classes OF graded schools The
resolution was introduced by the Ger
man Peoples party.
The central committee OF the German
Wholesale Trade Organization adopted
a resolution yesterday declaring il to be
che patriotic duty Of German merchants
TO refrain from purchasing nonessential
A. ,us.
the imposition Of the economic penalties
on Germany.
London, March 19.-The Common
last night passed the third reading o
the reparations bill The bill provide
for a levy Of 80 per cent on German
goods. but this provision will not b.
effective until March II. After tn
Commons had passed the measure i
was read for the first time in the fous
of Lords.
J. Austen Chamberlain. chancellor o
the exchequer, replying in the Com
mons 10 an argument that the German
reparntiou bill to be effective must b
applied by all the Allies, said the bill
might operate either as a penalty o
as means of collection of reparations
depending upon the action of the Ger
mans.
II the Germans wished TO draw p"n
atty upon themselves, Mr.. Chamber
lain said, they could draw it. But /
they wished 10 avoid penalty and pa!
a portion Of their debts for repara
tions the bill would not act as pun
ishmeut, but as a method Of collection
1t was not improbable that before lon
the bill would bc acting in the secon
method, the chancellor declared.
Even If Great Britain stood aon
in this matter, Mr. Chamberlain sal
he believed the exclusion of German
from British markets would be suf
fcient TO compel her TO give satisfac
ton to British demands The proceed
Of the bill, the chancellor added. wou
be applied 10 the payment Of Britis
claims and the disposal of any SurpIu
would be left over for discussion by tn
Allies.