Evening star., 1923-01-25
TROOPS GO TO FRONTIER.
Soldiers Being Withdrawn From
Ruhr Cities.
BY GEORGE wITTE.
By Wireless TO The Star and Chicago Dali
News. Copyright 1923.

By Wireless TO The Star and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright 1923
BERLIN, January 25.-French
troops are gradually being with
drawn from the big cities in the
Ruhr territory and concentrated
along the frontier of the newly oc-
cupied zone which is to serve as
Frances guaranty for her share of
the German reparations payments. A
special correspondent of the Berlin
Tageblatt, who has just made trip
to the mining centers in the Ruhr.
declares that there has been re-
markable change in the attitude OF
the French in the last few days.
Scarcely a single soldier is TO be
seen in the streets of Essen, Dort-
mund, or the other cities" telegraphs
the correspondent. in describing the
situation as seen through German
eyes. "The French troops are being
kept in their billets all day and night.
avoid public gathering places such as
cafes, restaurants, main streets ana
squares Even in their conferences
with the German officials they have
in making demands. But this does
not help them. Although $4,000 car
loads of coal and 5000 carloads OF
other products went out OF the Ruhr
today. not a single car left In the
direction of France or Belgium.
Trains MOI StopPcu.
But the French have made no at
tempt thus far to seize freight trains,
or even to stop them. Within the
next few days this situation. in all
probability, will have changed. 1t is
only a question OF short time pc
fore the French will try to shut the
Ruhr basin off from the rest OF Ger
many. If they succeed hard times VIII
begin for the Ruhr population and
also for the invaders, for then the
wOrkingmen will carry out their
threat and call a general strike. The
masses will surge out into the streets
and soon the world will know who
will win in this desperate struggle.
80 far the French have lost the
first part of the battle on account OF
the moral resistance offered by the
Westphalian population. The second
mart of the battle begins tomorrow
or the next day, and then the French
will find out that II is easy to torture
one man, or even several men, but
that they cannot torture 100000 peo-
pie and succeed.
Deliberate Sabotage.
The spirit of ruthless defiance which
characterizes the governments orders
to officials and mine owners In the
Ruhr district to disobey the French
instructions has now reached the
stage Of deliberate sabotage. Sitting
safely in their swivel chairs many
long miles away from the scene Of
action, the Berlin officials are calmly
stirring up feelings against the
French, and the triumphant tone of
the reports published in the nation
alists' newspapers show only too
clearly that the seed sown by the
government is already bearing fruit.
Full restitution will be made for
every cent of damage suffered as the
result of compliance with official
orders by owners and employees"
reads an official announcement signed
by Chancellor Cuno-
Spelling Sympathy.
In neutral circles here and even
among the British in Berlin it is
thought that the German government
is going little too far not only
in encouraging but also in assisting
the population of the newly occupied
areas in open resistance to the
French and in attempting to harrass
them by sabotage. 1t is said in
diplomatic circles here that should
serious trouble break out as the re-
suit of these tactics the German gov
ernment will be largely to blame.
THE worst part of it is" said a
member of the British mission in
Berlin today Z that Germany is
spelling what sympathy was felt
abroad for her cause by her present
policy"