Evening star., 1923-02-24
MOVES SHARPEN CONFLICT.
Dismissal of German Customs Of
fcers Shifts Frontier.
BY A. R. DECKER.

By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright. 1875.
DORTMUND, Germany. February
24.-Several important decisions have
been taken in Berlin and Paris tend
ing to sharpen the Euhr conflict.
The French announce today that
they intend to dismiss or eXpel ali
the German customs employees in the
Rhineland and the Ruhr district and
replace them by French employees
who will collect the customs for
France and Belgium. The order will
affect thousands along the west bank
of the Rhine, in the Duesseldorf
bridgehead and the Ruhr area. 1t
virtually means moving the German
frontier eastward, for the Germans
will be compelled to organize anoth-
er customs line.
Blockade Includes Imports.
In response to the move the German
government issued an order against the
payment of taxes or customs to the
French, and declaring that if it was
done 1t would be considered void, and
the German government would make
second collection. This affects food, as
was illustrated by a case in Duisburg.
where a barge loaded with beans and
rice was held by the French for the
payment of customs duties. The owners
refused to pay for fear that the Ger
man government would exact a second
payment. Thus the blockade is extend
ed to imports.
Further, 1T is reported that the French
and Belgians have resolved to assume
| the administration of all the railroads
ON the west bank of the Rhine and
| in the Ruhr area.
Successive Steps Taken.
The successive steps taken by the
French and Belgians have been these:
/ Entry into the Ruhr district of
an armed force.
/ Q. Seizure of public buildings.
2. Authorization of certain railroads.
| SeiZure of central bonded ware
houses and the establishment of a
blockade of all Ruhr products.
5. Inauguration of a system of ex-
port permit fees.
| g. Replacement of German customs
officials by French.
| 7. Seizure of the Rhine and Ruhr
railroads.
| Police Being Disarmed.
| Meanwhile all the German govern
ment officials are being expelled and
the police are being rapidly disarmed
and dispersed. With the exception of
| the invasion by French troops the
Germans have found a way of resist
! ing each move. They removed the
| archives before the public buildings
| were seized They made the rail
seizure imperative by passive resist
ance and by striking.
| They refused to pass goods through
| the French customs for fear of a
| double tax. They changed the form
of production when the blockade be-
came effective by piling coal and fin
| ishing metal. If the French and Bel
gians take all tic railroads in the
| Rhine and Ruhr areas the German
| railroad men will strike, but will
| continue to get. pay from Berlin, and
| if the blockade forces general unem-
| ployment the government and big
| indusuialists will pay those out of
| work.
| The Germans say that the French
expedition is costing France enough
to make the outcome of the
| struggle as favorable for Germany
as for France. The French ultimatum
| to the railroad men to return to work
| or be elected from their homes has
| not shaken their resolution not to
| work for the French, and hence the
| list Of nearly 500 employees already
expelled will be swelled by railroad
! and customs officials