The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-01-21
Men Strike
In Protest
OF Arrests
New Forms of Passive Rcsis-
tance on Part of Germans
Follow Every Move
by French. t
Fear Stoppage of Trade

Essen, Jan. 20.-CBy A. PA grim
game is being played by the French
and Germans along the valleys of tho
Ruhr and the Rhine. For every turn
whereby the French and Belgian oc-
cupation forces register a tactical OF
military advantage tho German resi-.
dents carry out new form OF pas.
sive resistance.
Phe day Yves hectic with a success.
sion of arrests of high German in-
dustrial and postal officials. quickly
followed with clock like precision by
protest strikes of workers. who stuck
Goggedly by Berlln's instructions to
aid in no wise the Invaders"
THE workers. COUNSEL discussed
with Lord Mayor Luther. the advisa-
bilty of calling out some OF the 5000
postal. telegraph and telephone work.
crs in a general sympathetic strike,
but the decision will not be announced
until Sunday. A large part OF the
forces at the various mines whose di-
rectors were arrested, responded al
most Immediately with protest strikes
or ultimatums expiring early next
additional troops TO guard the mines.
Banks Closed.
The people of Essen awoke to find
all the private banks in the city closed
the reichsbank and the personnel of
this institution refused to continue at
their duties Besides a number of
small concerns, there are 20 large pri-
vate banks in Essen.
Business men anticipate serious
stoppage of trade in case the suspen-
sion of banking continues over the
/ coming week. Essen's larger finan-
cial Institutions have unusually se-
cure backing, it IL reliably stated,
and conduct many specialized dealings
in stocks and bonds. in addition to
the usual cash bank transactions.
The reichsbank. which is a branch of
the central reichsbank in Berlin, has
an extraordinary large daily turnover
on account of the heavy industry in
the Ruhr. 1t is said that 1t handles
at least 100000, 900 marks daily for
wages of the Ruhr miners alone. Fur
thermore. it has the issuance of the
| governments legal tender and per-
forms other functions the same as the
mother bank at Berlin.
Loss in Trade.
A leading official of the Essen
chamber of commerce. conversing
with The Associated Press corre-
spondent today. pointed out that the
+
able loss in trade already for United
/ States and South American exporters.
lie said that virtually all the lard
consumed in the Ruhr comes from
| the United States and most OF the
other fats. Frozen beef is imported
largely from South America and
frozen pork mainly from the United
| States.
Since tho beginning of the year,
when the threats OF occupation be-
came particularly marked, the prices
OF these commodities a we'll as 9TH
ers, had arisen by leaps and bounds.
Frozen meats had increased in price
more than 100 per cent and lards and
fats even more than that.
The large importers, though we'll
backed financially. have been exceed
ingly cautious in undertaking big con-
tracts in these supplies during the
past three weeks. especially since
the marks latest meteoric fall.
French i'm Earnest.
Dusseldorf, Jan. 20.-tBy A. P.1
With Is OF their leading compatriots
on the way to Jail at Mayence, the
Germans are beginning to realize that
the French are in earnest. In carrying
out their reparation policy in the
Ruhr valley
Despite the arrests. however, ther-
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