Evening star., 1923-10-11
RUHR REAWAKENING.
Industrialists Compete for Con-
tracts With Invaders.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1923

By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1923
DUESSELDORF, October 11.-Fren-
Zied competition seems TO be the order
of the day among Ruhr induStrialists,
vieing for the honor of being first to
/ gium. and thus secure contracts for
| the delivery of coal and other repara-
| tions materials.
Otto Wolff of the Phoenix Konzern.
said to represent 10 per cent Of the
total metallurgical industry of the
Ruhr, has stolen a march on his
rivals. but fears a comeback at any
moment. Hugo SHINES is close on
his heels. The goal" so to speak,
is the Reich government in Berlin.
Who is going to pay Otto WON
and the other industrialists for coal
deliveries? Certainly not France and
B algium,. nor the reparations com
mission, says Berlin. Yet the Reich
point II is difficult to see how the
Stresemann government can indemni-
fy anybody for anything in the pres
| ent state of German finances. II
Berlin does not pay, there are ap-
| ly, that the Ruhr industriailstS them
| selves pay, which is extremely un-
| likely, or that the Franco-Belgian
| industrialists come to the rescue py
! advancing capital on account, on the
-
| Westphalian industry.
| Latter More Probable.
| This latter alternative is the more
| nrohable. according to British OBJ
| servers at Cologne. 1t is only a mat
! ter of time, they claim, until 80 per
! cent of the choice stock of the Ruhr
| Industries will fall into Franco-Rel-
| gian hands, with the elimination OF
Great Britain from the metallurgical
TRADE of Europe as a consequence.
| Nearly half the enormous produc-
! tive machinery here now is at WORK
again, the writer is informed. This
| is true especially in respect TO MIN
i get out enough coal to avoid a fuel
| famine this winter. In regard to
! manufacturing. twenty large firms
besides the Phoenix concern are said
| to have applied to their interallieo
] committee for permission to resume
work with the understanding thai
they are to pay coal taxes and ex.
port license duties to the allies and
not to Berlin.
| Disturbances Continue.
| Despite the resumption of work
however, disturbances of all sort:
continue to stare the Ruhr in the
face. Economically. the questions OF
bound to give trouble. Politically
there are the problems of separatis'
Idissension between the industrialist!
and Berlin. Socially, there is the mat
| ter of the eight-hour day, which alone
| is expected to cause endless bicker'
| ing. The employers think the pres
ent is a good time to win back the
! privileges granted labor in the pas
| fifty years under the name of socia
laws, because the unions now are too
| poor to be able to strike back, ant
| because the workmen themselves are
| weakened through years of under
| rourishment. The labor leaders, OF
their side, are determined to hold OF
to the privileges they have won.
Communist. deputies have intro
! duced a motion in the reichstag de
manding that the big industrialist:
in Rhineland and Westphalia bt
brought to trial for high treason fol
alleged plots against the security Of
| the German state. The workmer
have won the first skirmish, thank:
to the Intervention of the PrusslaI
state government, but are bound Il
be called on to fight in the future.
|