Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-03-10
FRANCE BLOCKS NEW
WAR, SAYS L|EBERT
Ruhr Invasion Revealed Secret Prepar
atoms for Another Conflict,
He Declares
CHARGES GERMAN DECEIT
Consul General Officially Denies Use
of Back Troops-Calls 1t Berlin
Propaganda.

4
postpone war rather than precipitate
another conflict. declared CASTOR Lie
bert. the French Consul General, yes
terday in an address on the European
situation before the Lions Club at ::
luncheon mt the Hotel Martinique.
| Germany he contended was Jealous
ly manufacturing arms and ammunic-
ion in the industrial plants of the
Ruhr when the army of France march
ed in and put n stop to her plans, and
would have been ready in two or three
years to recommence hoStilities.
| The Hearst press is largely respon.
sible for the particularly vicious at
tacks upon the present French policy"
the Consul General declared. Every
day 1t displays big headlines. Black
Troops in the Ruhr' just as tlrese pap
ers said two years ago that black
troops were on the Rhine. That black
| troops are in the Ruhr is the biggest
lie that ever was invented by German
propaganda There are no black SOL
| d1erS in the Ruhr and there never
have been any. / can state that official
ly.
! AS far as the Rhine is concerned,
we had sent few Senegalese troops
at the beginning of the occupation.
They are known to be the best disci-
plined and best behaved troops In the
French Army. The white soldiers were
tired, and while they were resting
France used the Sencgalese. but for
only short time"
| M. Liebert asserted that ut the pres
ent time there are troops from North
ern Africa on the Rhine. Germany, h.
said, calls them BLACK" for propaean-
da purposes. tut they are white, and
are only tanned by very stron, sun,
he said. The Germans, he explained
-, are attempting to stir American pub
lie opinion against the French by
claiming there are black soldiers in
the recently invaded territory.
CALLS ARMISTICE A MISTAKE
But IL there were" he continued,
weren't there black regiments in the
American Army? This is the nation
whose high ideals freed the blacks in
the South and those who have been
educated are considered the equals OF
the whites Colonel Hayward who led
the colored regiment in the World War
can tell you how we'll they behaved"
After reading extracts from an adj
dress delivered by Prime Minister
| Poincare Of France at dinner of
French journalists on February 4th,
M. Liebert declared that the Prime
Minister'S policy in the Ruhr will he
carried out and that there will be no
flinching from it,
| Since the armistice, which certain
ly was the greatest mistake, the great
est blunder of the war" M. Liebert de
clared, Germany has done but one
thfng-tried to escape the just punish
ment Of her crimes. Since that time
the German industrial magnates have
exported their capital. But not only
that, she has sent abroad manufattur
ed goods, and instead of receiving the
money in Germany she has left 1t in
foreign banks to serve as credit.
France is going to remain in the Ruhr
as long as these big industrial mag.
mates do not find some way OF bring
ing back that capital and then pay her
separations debt. This is our policy.
I'VE have been deceived so many
times since the armistice and we are
, not going to be deceived any more.
The people of this country have such
sense OF justice that they under
stand and appreciate our position.
France would be on the verge of bank
ruptcy If she did not receive the money
that was provided in the form of repair
ations in the Treaty OF Versailles.
Since 1918 France has advanced over
one hundred billion francs for repara
lions and pensions. That is the limit
OF French possibilities All this money.
moreover, came from the savings of
the peasants hn1 workingmen; not one
cent YVES borrowed abroad.
THE money from German repara.
lions must come in because France
does not want to be bankrupt. This Is
the main reason. The time had come.
We had to compel those people to pay
The Consul General compared the
attitude Of Germany in 1871. when,
after crushing the French armies she
exacted penalty Of 5000 600. 900
francs in the Treaty of Frankfort with
that OF France today. France al
though vanquished, promised to pay
the indemnity in two years and kept
her promise said M. Liebert.
INSURANCE AGAINST WAR
He accused Germany Of deliberate
ly' decreasing the value of the mark
and said that she made money all
the time through that abominable
gamble On one side, he said. was