The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-03-29
FRANCES SCHEME IN OCCUPATION OF
RUHR IS REVEALED BY LAUSANNE
Tells What II Is Hoped to
Accomplish Through the
Occupation Of Great Ger.
man Industrial Region
BY MILTON BRONNER.
SpCci Cable to NEA Service. Inc,
and The Tribune. Copyright.

and The Tribune. Copyright.
1923. by NEA Service, Inc.s
Paris, March 20.-What is Frances
game in the Ruhr? Her only game is
to get the money Germany owes her
Nothing more; nothing less.
1t was Stephane Lauzanne who told
me so, and he ought to know Not
only is he r-in-chicf of lie Matin.
one of the most influential papers in
France, but he is in most intimate
terms with Premier Poincare and ali
the men who now compose the gov
ernment.
mon cher Raymond Poincarej
unbosoms himself to his "ch.r
Stephane," so that he may know just
what's what when he writes his pow
erful editorials.
came to Paris to find out just
what Poincare meant to do in his
critical and crucial Ruhr enterprise.
French officials advised me to see
Lauzanne; he would speak with full
knowledge.
Fire away" said Lauzanne, "and
make your questions just as hard as
you like"
QUESTION NO. 1: 1t is charged
by the enemies Of France that, tax
ing advantage of clauses in the Yer
sailles treaty, she has made de-
mands upon Germand so high she
can't fulfill them and that France
does not expect she will fulfill them.
Is this true or false?
| Said Lauzanne: "The demands
made upon Germany for reparations
| ($33, 600, ,O00,0OO) were not made by
France alone. The figure was fixed
| in London in May, 1923, and the
schedule of payment, which was
then adopted by common agreement
was signed by Great Britain, Italy
| japan and Belgium, as we'll as by
France.
"Nobody said then that the sched'
ule Of payment was exaggerated
and Lloyd George declared in the
House of Commons that it was
reasonable.
"If today the schedule of pay
ments is found exaggerated, how
can we be certain that IL new sched
ule, reducing the original figures
will not be thought too high in 1925
And what is the schedule Of payment:
Germany will not deem too high y
QUESTION NO. 2: Taking Advan
tage of Germany's failure to pay. i
is charged France has marched int
the Ruhr intending to stay there
either annexing the Ruhr and th'
Rhneland, or setting up a buffe
state. Does France ever expect t
leave the Ruhr?
Lauzanne replied: France vii
never annex the Rhineland or thu
Ruhr; but France will remain in thu
! Rhineland and the Ruhr as long u.
Germany will not pay what she owe.
to France.
''ln other words, the Rhinelant
and Ruhr are considered by thu
French as n mortgage guaranteeing
payment. When the payments are
made, the mortgage will have tt
be released and the bailiffs will leave
the premises.
Germany did exactly the same
thing to US in 1871 and the whole
world, including America, approved
what Germany did. The last Ger
man soldier left French soil in Sep
tember, 1873, eleven days after thu
last French million had been paid"
QUESTION NO. 3: The charge ha
been publicly printed in England tina
the French march into the Ruhr wa!
at first inspired by a French syndi
cate of steel masters which desired ;
union with German coal and stee
masters, in which the French wouls
control 60 per cent of the stock. /;
lit true that French big business go
Poincare to go into the Ruhr?
CONTINUED on Page Thrse)