San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-28
IRON MASTERS
PREC|P|TATED
RUHR INVASION
Harden Believes France Has
Taken on Too Great a
Financial Burden.
GERMANS ARE WORRIED
Says Preparations Must Be
Recognized as ALL
Europe Problem.
GERMANS ARE WORRIED
Special Gable to The San Antonio Light
and the Chicago Daily News.
I,nnNriDhf- 1873.

Special Cable to The San Antonio Light
and the Chicago Daily News.
Copyright, 1928.
Berlin, Jan. 27.-Admittcdly this IS
the most serious crisis for Germany
since the signature of the treaty OF
Versailles. But as was foreseen last
summer, the French deficit of thirty
billion francs, equal TO thirty-six tEous-
and billion paper marks, makes the
German deficit look like a draft beside
the giant of fairyland tales. Once it
becomes impossible TO conceal from the
small French merchant, peasant ana
renter that they must pay ten per
cent additional taxation, their belief
that they have been deceived by the
government. and that France really
lost the war, will drive them wild with
rage.
The French iron masters, UNDER
standing the situation, have utilized 1t
to carry out their policies of securing
quicker supplies of Ruhr coal to smelt
the Lorraine iron ore with which they
seek the commercial mastery of
Europe and they triumphed over the
Paris financial leaders who counselled
temporizing with Germany.
The iron masters were able to show
that the German government allowed
the Ruhr coal owners to postpone pay
ment OF taxes amounting to 10000, OOO,-
600 marks in the face of depreciating
currency thus reducing the sum avail
able for reDaratiOns. The iron masters
thus had powerful argument that
pressure on the Ruhr. "source OF Ger
many's wealth." probably would induce
her to make heavy payments.
Millerand Carries Point.
The leader of the French magnates
is Millerand, once lawyer, later deputy,
now president of the republic and he
carried his point over the objections
of Foch, Barthou and the others be-
cause Premier Poincarc, the stubborn
headed Lorraine lawyer. and Journalist,
saw only this way out. The original
plan of occupation provided for 1000
men who were to protect the French
and Belgian engineers. Now 10000
are employed with 10000 additional
mentioned as reserves.
The hope that the Socialist miners
would turn against the profiteering
coal barOns did not materialize, while
the opposition of the entire Westphalian
and Ruhr population proved far more
obstinate than any Frcnchman had
anticipated. The French iron masters
wanted to pose as kind employers and
enter into peace negotiations with
valuable German pledges in their
possession. They have completely
failed.
When it was apparent the original
plans would not work out, group
headed by the French minister of war,
Maginot, made the Ruhr question a
matter of French national prestige,
demanded that force be employed to
break all resistance, march to Berlin
if necessary. and then point out that,
by failing to meet her obligations. Ger
many had destroyed the treaty of
Versailles. This would mean reversion
to the war status and France could
force a separate peace with Germany
Germany'S Tactical Error.
| The German government realized too
late its tactical error in claiming the
French action demolished the peace
pact and in refusing to enter into
negotiations with France and Belgium
until they withdrew their forces, and