The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-07-06
Ruhr Peace
UptoBerlin
Government
Withdrawal of Support to Pas
sive Resistance Campaign
Held Key to
Settlement.
People Willing to Pay
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

81 LII nv.
Cologne, July .5.-Ever since the
French set up their demands for ces
satlon of passive resistance in the
Ruhr as a condition precedent to an
swering the last German note, the
question has been just what degree
of cessation was meant by the French
and how it would work out in actual
practice in the Ruhr.
II by cessation of passive resist
ance France meant merely that the
central government in Berlin should
tEithdraw it's ordinances calling for
resistance and its financial support
of resistance. it is felt that Britain
might find way to make an infor-
NAL suggestion to Berlin that this
be done.
But II the French meant that the
German government must go farther,
must actually help the French army
in its efforts to keep order and make
the population go to work, that is re.
garded as a different matter.
Idle Most~of Time.
In the Ruhr, the fact is that the
people are working roughly about one
fifth of their capacity. The rest of
the time they are idle. To provide
them with food they are receiving re-
lief money from private sources. If
The financial assistance of the Ger
man government were withdrawn,
the amount OF relief from private
sources would be insufficient. The
Ruhr population then would have TO
go to work or starve.
1t is possible, indeed it has been
discussed here, that in the event the
German government should withdraw
its financial assistance the popula.
ton might follow the example of Bel
gium when the Germans occupied 1t
and refuse to work under hostile
bayonets. The end OF that process
would be an appeal to America for
food on a basis analogous to our fur
nishing food TO Belgium during the
war.
The best judgment here, however,
is that IL withdrawal of the ordi-
and financial support for pas
sive resistance by the central Berlin
government as part of or followed
closely by a general reparation settle
ment. then the people would go to
work and the region would quickly
become economically productive to a
normal degree.
Eager to Pay.
The people here are perfectly we'll
n a,,l
to pay reparations They are not only
willing. but eager to pay it. II they
were told that Germany must pay a
certain fixed sum and that so soon
as 1t was paid the occupying army
would be withdrawn, and Germany
freed, then in that event they would
go to work and pay.
Under those conditions the pres
ence Of the French army. with defi-
mite known limit OF its presence,
would soon cease to cause violence or
much resentment. II is not the pres.
ence of foreign army that causes
trouble. Where there is a British
army there is no trouble at all. The
people fraternize with the soldiers
1t is the fear that the French mean
to stay forever, mean to try to disrupt
Germany. that causes the trouble. a
deeper cause of the whole trouble is
that same thing that has been an in
herent vice of the Versailles treaty
for four years. failure to make rep
arations fixed sum.
Because the amount was left indie
terminate, 80 out of every 100 people
here sincerely believe that no matter
how much Germany pays. it will be
%Ruiredto pay still m0re; and they
believe also that the French will re.
fuse to be satisfied with any amount
of money whatever, but really enter
ain policy Of disrupting Germany.
Copyright, 1920