The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-02-02
m a n S
Giving in
to French
Paper Mill Workers Appeal
to General Degoutte for
Fuel to Keep Mills
Running.
Food Becoming Scarce

Dusseldorf, Feb. 1.-lBy A. Pa-
Honors were about even on the 22d
day of the gigantic economic battle
now being waged between the French
and Germans. Sober second thought
is increasing and the scarcity Of food
and growing unemployment today
caused a body of German workers TO
make their first appeal to the French
for assistance since the troops entered
the Ruhr.
Six thousand paper mill workers.
threatened with closure Of the Dussel-
dorf plants owing to lack of coal. sent
delegation to General Degoutte re-
ouesting that the French supply
fuel necessary for continuance OF
work. General Degoutte answered
that the German railway men We're
responsible by failure to transport
coal into Dusseldorf.
General Degoutte promised he would
have coal brought to the paper mills.
Germans Score.
The Germans scored when NJ
Frantzen, one of the leading ensi-
neers of the French economic mis-.
sion, speaking officially to the cor
respondents, admitted that the work
of the mission depended upon the re-
turn to the Ruhr of the coal syndi.
cate and cooperation with the mis-
sion, virtually admitting that the
French were powerless to work the
Ruhr industries without the Ger.
mans.
The output of the mines is gradual
ly dwindling, but the food situation
appears to be the greatest argument
favoring surrender of the population
to tho French terms.
The French quartermaster's depart
ment has issued information that the
supply service to the French army
of occupation is operating normally,
five trains of foodstuffs. sufficient for
the armys needs, reaching the Ruhr
today, but the French authorities
have informed the Germans they are
unable to transport food to feed thu
Ruhr civilian population. adding thai
If the railway men continue their
strike, causing their own compatriots
to starve, the responsibility is theirs.
Acts of Violence.
The Germans are resorting to acts
of violence. Another attempt to burn
the roundhouse at Mayence was part.
ly successful today. while a German,
caught in the act of trying to set
fire to the Duisburg roundhouse and
| locomotive shops was struck over the
head with a rifle butt by a Belgian
sentry and his skull fractured. The
sentry reported that the German tried
to disarm him. The German will prob
ably die.
The French refused to make any Of
fetal statement as to whether the
measure forbidding the export OF coal
and coke to unoccupied Germany in
augurated at midnight was complete
ly successful. They say they have
not yet received reports from all the
frontier points.
The populations Of Elberfeldt and
Barmen. just outside the occupation
zone to the south, are greatly alarmed
because the French outports are only
four miles from these cities. and they
have begun TO remove the books, rec
ords and archives of the cities and
municipalities, as well as of private
firms, further into Germany.
The French announced officially
that they have no intention of ex-
tending the zone of occupation for
the present"
Tension Increasing.
London, Feb. 1.-The tension be-
tween the allied troops and the popu-
lation of Essen Is noticeably more
marked and is causing concern, says
Reuters dispatch from the occupied
city. The feeling has been embittered
by the numerous deportations which
are reliably estimated to exceed so
in number. Neutral observers, the
correspondent adds, believe that the
increased severity of the occupying
forces has been largely due to the
fact that not "a ton of Ruhr coal has
gone to France since the occupa.
ton.
A Reuters dispatch from Cologne
says the French authorities have in.
formed the German newspaper edi-
tors that all derogatory references TO
the French are prohibited. The edi-
tors are reported to have been elimi-
mating from their papers the words
France" and French"
Riot at KOenigsberg.
Berlin, Feb. 1.-The police frustrat-
ed today the attempt of large crowd
to force entrance into the Central
hotel at Koenigsberg, where French
officers attached to the interallied con-
troll commission are residing. The
gathering sang patriotic songs and
demanded the departure of the officers
The police finally cleared the square.
but there was a second demonstration
before another hotel which is also a
headquarters for members of the COM
mission.