The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-10
PRESIDENT
RECALLS
TROOPS
Harding Acts Upon Reports BY
HsrrIok and Roydsn srit-
islp May Follow.
~ GEORGE III IIOL MES,
lntasnntIellA q aasa gaEalee.

IN the face az Fra1ce,s great
military thrust into the heart ef
industrial many 4
strongly approved TN The
American Governments resident
Harding today ordered the Inn
mediate and complete withdrawal
Of all American troops nov on
the Rhine.
Regarded as Protest.
While at the State Department Il
was said that the Adfniiaistratt0 ton
merely considered that the time
had come to withdraw the forces.
it was evident that the American
Government was actiIated in order
ing the withdrawal at this time by
the growing seriousness of the Euro
pean situation, and the summary
withdrawal Of troops constitutes
only q thinly yelled gesture Of pro
test against Frances occupation Of
the Ruhr.
Acts ON BOyden Report.
Orders for the withdrawal Of tho
troops followed the receipt by Sec.
rotary Of State Hughes of . lengthy
report from Roland w. Boyden, tbs
American representative on the
reparations commission, on tbs
French plans for the occupation Of
the Ruhr district to compel German
indemnity payments.
!. Secretary of War Weeks was i'm
mediately instructed by the Pre-
dent 1t was said at the State De
partment, to issue the orders to
Maj Gen. Henry T. Allen, com
manding he American army OF &C
cupation In Germany, to prepare 81
once for the evacuation.
The order for withdrawal went
forward to Maj. Gen. Henry T.
Allen at Coblenz this morning
There 10 reason to believe that tht
kdecision to withdraw was made By
President Harding and Secretary
of State Hughes following the re
ceipt OF reports from Ambassador
Myron Herrick at Paris and Boy
den, to the effect that nothing car
halt the French plans for seizinI
the Ruhr basin.
The nature Of the reports from,
Ambassador Herrick and ColOne
| Boyden were not made public, AND
| officials declined to discuss them, but
the sudden order for military evacua
| ton of the Rhine threw considerable
light upon the nature of their Job
serVations.
President Harding summoned Sec
| rotary of War Weeks In person te
the White House at 1890 a. M. and
gave the order Of withdrawal. Weeks
announced Immediately that thC
transport st. Mihiel will leave New
York today or tomorrow to brinl
home the entire American contingent
now stationed at Coblen2.
/ After first announcing that thu
Americans would be brought out o.
Europe via Antwerp, a Belgian port
the War Department later announced
that Bremen, German port, also
was being considered Belgium i,
! cooperating with France in hel
thrust into tho Ruhr, and the uues
ton apparently was raised by AID
ministratlon officials as to whether
1t would be advisable to bring thu
troops out through Belgian territory
| Decision as to whether to use Ant
werp or Bremen az a point OF ext
was finally referred 10 General AlleI
at Coblenz. He was instructed q
advise Washington Immediately al
to which port would be most desir
able, and officials said his recon
mendation would be accepted.
For the Americans to use ANTWERP
would recessitate their evacuation
through not only Belgian, but ais,
French occupied territory, and witt
the state of tension as 1t is now of
ftcials foresaw possibility of ''un
pleasant incidents" arising between
the ingoing French and the outcom
ing Americans.
Immediately upon announcement
Of the American withdrawal, r.