Evening star., 1923-01-10
U. S. WITHDRAWAL
MEANS "PR0TEST"
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Il tConuEued from Ftrst Page.D
patches from Europe told of tie march
OF French troops through the Coblenz
bridgehead, which is guarded by Amer
lca's army OF occupation. The sight
OF French troops marching right through
the American lines on an errand which
the United States government had plain
~ disapproved was too much for Arneri-
can pride.
The small number of troops had
been kept there at the earnest re-
quest of the French. who wanted. not
the numerical strength of the Amer
lean Army. but it's moral strength,
They asked that the flag remain there
as proof of allied solidarity. What
its withdrawal means France can
judge for herself.
ment will not appear to be doing
anything but the normal thing in
completing the withdrawal Of the
troops. The movement was begun
some time ago and is just being car
ried out in entirety. automatically
to it's previous policy, but the French
will know, of course, that the step
was not without deep significance.
u. .. Announcement Dramatic.
Announcement Of the decision OF
the American government was dra-
matte. The newspaper correspond
ents had called at the Department OF
State and had been received by Assist
ant Secretary William Phillips, who,
however. did not discuss European de-
velopments and the conference ended.
The correspondents were half way
out of the building when Mr.. Hughes
clerk came running after them to say
that the Secretary of State had an i'm
portant statement to make.
Mr.. Hughes came into the room
when the newspaper men were as
tic positiveness said:
THE time has como to complete the
withdrawal Of the American troops
On being asked whether any new
circumstances ci had arisen to bring
about that decision the Secretary SAID
he didn't want to say anything about
IL. He plainly intended that the state
ment should speak for itself. He
wouldn't comment on the speech In
Paris Tuesday OF Roland Boyden
American unofficial observer on the
ing more to say and hurried out OF
the room as quickly as he had come.
white House Conference.
Meanwhile, at the White House, Sec
retary OF War Weeks had been con-
ferrins with President Harding or
the military details Of the withdrawal
Although the move has been expected
for some time, the taking OF the steI
at this time, when relations between
France and America are slightly
strained, is in marked contrast TO the
circumstances which surrounded the
first orders to the American Army 70
, begin Withdrawing from the Rhine.
/ Mr.. Harding pledged in his cam
paign for the presidency that he
would order the Withdrawal OF Amer
lean forces from Europe. Only In
response to pleas from the Germans
| as we'll as the French and British, did
| he delay action
There is always the possibility OF
| friction SO long as any American
| soldiers are quartered on foreign ter
| ritory, but the Germans really liked
the American troops and said so. The
| sending Of French battaiions through
| icany Army at Coblenz made the pos
sibility of friction with the French
| an entirely new circumstance and il
was partly in an effort to conform
with the sentiment of the Senate
| resolution and partly a desire te
| avoid complications which Influenced
the American decision, though funda-
mentally the move is In itself pro-
test against French occupation of the
Ruhr, something which Mr.. Hughes
had said in his New Haven speech
that the American government would
eminent had been formally given a
copy Of the sp.ech, too.
Speculation As to Effect.
Apart from the widespread effect
| which the withdrawal OF American
forces on the Rhine will have on world
opinion, there is some speculation here
as to the effect which the new policy
| will have on the status OF the Washing.
ton arms conference treaties. which are
/ so dear to the heart of the Harding.
Hughes administration. The French
have delayed action for more than 9
year. but recently they intimated thai
ratification would come In a few weeks
Whether they will show their resent
! ment by refusing to ratify the treaties
an attitude has already been discounted
! by the three most interested powers
| Great Britain, United States and Japan
Only last week the Japanese foreign
l office let it be known that IL France
| failed to ratify, Japan would come tC
/ an agreement with Great Britain and
the United States to consider the nava
ratios as In effect between the thret
powers. Great Britain would probably
do likewise.
The upshot of the days news is q
confirmation of the viewpoint expressed
| In these dispatches yesterday-that the
relations between France and America
which were so cordial before the wal
and became closer as the United States
sent an army of two millions to French
soil, are now growing more and more
strained every day.