Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-14
RHINE OCCUPATION
DECLARED ILLEGAL.
IN NOTE Of LONDON
Complete Break With Poin-
care Government Held In
evitabIe as England Sup
ports Position of Germany

PARIS, Aug. 1S.-By the Asso
ciated Press)-The British note is
regarded in French circles as a posi-
tive disavowal of Great Britain's wal
allies and frank espousal of the
German cause.
1t is thought Premier Poincare
will reply in due time although at
the Quai d'Orsay it is held the docu
ment smacks so much of propagan
da it might properly be ignored.
This amazing document proposes X
to haul France and Belgium before
a tribunal to answer for their eff
forts to make Germany carry out
her treaty obligations" said an Of
fetal of the foreign office today.
France and Belgium are moi
ready to answer such summons
even from Great Britain"
The same official, whose state.
ments, while unofficial in strict
sense, reflect the tense feeling
aroused in the higher French cir
Giles, said the note obviously was in.
tended to influence American opin
ion. He was curious to know, how
ever, how the Americans would re
ceive a document which made all
settlements of the PREPARATION quess
ton depend upon the payment of the
debts to the United States, which
he remarked, amounted to throwing
4. XII frr~ Ian Nncn
chaos ON the United States.
The most surprising feature of the
note to the French government Off.
Gals, it was said. was the contention
that the occupation Of the Ruhr was
Illegal.
French Intentions
The official characterized as al
"unheard of proceeding the com
parison made by Lord Curzon be
tween Frances war debt and the
due from Germany.
Our war debts" he said, fenabled
US to wins the war and helped us to !
make a greater military effort to
save British and American lives,
while the German debt represents
blood of the allies that was shed.
France does not repudiate her debt.
She has wiped off the war debts
owed her by some of her allies. pu:
she intends to pay her own
The French reply if reply Is
sent will but reaffirm the position
of this country as repeatedly set
forth heretofore, the official de,
clared
France, he said would never con.
sent to the British demand that
Germany pay less and that France
pay more, which is the official in.
depreciation here of the statement in
the note that Great Britain must col.
lect 14,500,000,000 gold marks and
that, if she does not receive that sam
from Germany, she must get 1t from
the allies.
The British note has been received
with profound disappointment by
French opinion. This is evident
from the comment of the morning
LIE Matin, generally understood
to be Poincare organ, calls thu
note ga marvel of confusion and
contradiction"
THE Baldwin note" it says, lis
lamentable for England. 1t shows
to an unsupported degree, the state
of moral disjntregation into which
English leaders have fallen, whiSn
is only comparable to the state oil
financial disintregation into which
Germany has fallen
Stand With POincare
Even LOeuvre, sharply critical
of Premier Poincare and always
ready to turn every event to his
disadvantage, remarks:
Stanley Baldwin, the English
capitalists, considers that the rights
of English capitalists must have
precedence over those of French
and Belgian war sufferers"
Echo de Paris declares that TIE
note purposes to make us bear
the burden of the inter-allied debt
and deprives us of the possibility
of transferring it to Germany
LIE Journal is inclined to be
ironical, saying:
THE note is incontestab1y the
most disagreeable that has come to
us from London. In case of dis
agreement there is nothing like
recognizing the facts frankly and
bringing up clearly the elements
Of discord."
The writer adds that the tore
of the note betrays the disappoint-
ment of the British at the failure
from Mr.. Bonar Laws passive neI.
trality and intervene as mediators
before the triumph of France and
the collapse of Germany.
GENERAL APPROVAL
EXPRESSED IN LONDON
LONDON. Aug. 13-The British
note to France and Belgium in
which the Baldwin government saws
he Ruhr occupation is illegal under
ne versailles treaty, has made a
very deep impression here. For the
most part it is regarded as Great
ing new situation which NAV
cause serious developments.
Even where the .governmentss ac-
ton is approved, the plain phraseol-
0gy of the note caused astonishment.
that establishment was
with satisfaction that the
used language which
the commentators indorse.
Among those who oppose the l.ns
the government has taken there II
excitement. anger, even alarm. and
the position is considered to be one
Of grave crisis.
The communication reiterates
that Great Britain still is deter-
mined Germany shall pay ''to the
maximum of her capacity" but as
esrts that what that max;nl.n
may be should be decided by an i'm
partial inquiry" Fer her own f.a~t.
Britain would be willing to oG.a3n
rom Germany Preparations and n.
led debts sum sufficienS to neet