The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-01-12

mission which the crowd believed
was lodging there. The managemen emit s
assurances that not a Frenchman
was in the house were unSatisfac-
tory, especially in view of the fact
a flower pot inopportunely fell from
on upstairs window among the de-
monstrators, Scores of persons
swarmed into the building but DR..
Hans Luther, former burgomaster OF
Essen and now minister of food in
Cuno cabinet, appeared on the scene
in time 20 prevent more serious con-
sequences. DR.. Luther is temporari-
ly in the city.
DR.. Luther, when the disturbance
began, had Just begun to read on
address 10 the foreign correspondents
gathered at the Kaiserhof hotel, in
which he made a plea for moral
support for Germany in tho issue
raised by France.
instances Acute Distress
He cited instances Of acute dis
tress among the people to refute the
French charge that Germany is aoie'
but unwilling to pay. .
In the interview, DR.. Luther men
toned that he had just come from
the largest mass meeting ever held
in Essen at which citizens OF all
political creeds, with the exception
OF the communists, had protested
against the Fren3 occupation. He
read a. copy of a resolution adopted
at this meeting. IT was addressed to
the German ambassadors to Great
Britain and the United States and
called attention to the alleged 1lle-
gaIity of the French procedure.
q. The resolution asked America and
Great Britain to come to the moral
aid of Germany
Means Perpetual Hatred
fit further stated the French policy
sbelled perpetuation of hatred be-
tween the French and German PEG :
ble constituted most serious
danger to world peace.
In the crowd\ outside the hotel
were many of the persons who had
adopted the resolution at the meet
ing earlier in the evening. DR.. Luther
was obliged to appeal to the gather
ing impassionately in order to IN
duce it to dispense.
He was very disappointed when
informed of the American govern
lnents order Withdrawing its troops
from the Rhine.
"That is the worst possible news
we could receive" he said. Why In
the world doesn't America support
us in this?"
Or. Mayer Leaves Paris
Paris. January 11-Dr. Wilhelm
MAYER, the German ambassador to
France, left Paris for Berlin at noon
today,
The entry Of the French into the
first core of the Ruhr. comprizing
the city of Essen, began when the
advance guard of the control com :
Missions. military escort crossed
the boundary line from the occupied
area, this morning. The rest of the
troors, according to the plan OF
Marshal. Foch, W ere to follow with
regularity and it was said here that
the whole Esser zone would be UNI
der French SUPERVISION by afternoon
with the commission of allied engi-
neers, which will supervise the noal
deliveries, installed and ready for
business.
The plans call for the oseuDation
of the second zone. including
Bochum and Gelsenkirchen, after a
brief interval. x
- Makeup of Ruhr Troops.
The Ruhr troops, 1t is estimated
comprise approximately one French
division together with astrong de-
tachment of Belgian forces under
the command of General Henrys'
military will operate under. the or
der of General Simon, who is at
Dusseldorf.
General Degoutte, who is in SUI
preme command of the French, has
drafted a proclamation TO residents
of the Ruhr. explaining the charac
ter of the movement and making
clear that it is being effected In
the names of France. Belgium and
Italy This notice will be posted
throughout the zone.
News that France had at least
taken the action which a large ma
iority of the public has been urging
for some time caused lively salts
faction here, although it was marred
to some extent by the announce
ment that the American forces on
the Rhine were to be withdrawn.
Press Refrains From Comment
The press, although refraining
from comment on this phase OF the
situation was careful to explain
President Harding's step as the re-
sult of American political motives.
They ordered withdrawal, the news
papers point out, has no connection
with the occupation Of the Ruhr,
inasmuch as 1t was practically de-
cided upon some time ago.
The news that Ambassador Mayer
has been summoned TO Berlin puz-
zled the press which wonders whe-
Their the German envoy has been re-
called, thus involving a suspension
of diplomatic relations or whether
he has merely been asked to go to
Wilhemstrassn for a conference
with his government.
cuno Attacks Powers
Berlin, January 11.-Chancellor
Cuno told the foreign affairs COM
mittee of the Reichstag today that
Germany would not discuss its rep
arations obligations personally with
the treaty breaking powers"
French airplanes dropped leaflets
over Essen yesterday, calling on the
population to remain quiet, accord
ing to dispatches received here to-
day The leaflets asserted that per-
sons who stopped work would be
deported and that those who pre-
vented or interfered with the normal
course of the city's activities would
be subject to the death penalty.
Great Ore and Coal Deposits.
Oberhausen, Germany, January
There are no other important
iron ore and coal deposits in the
world lying so near each other as
the French ore fields and the Ruhr
coal region, and frances whole pol
lev of occupation is based on com
bining these two districts" said