Evening star., 1924-03-30
POINCARE STRENGTHENS
HIS POWER In FRANCE
Recognition of Left in New Cabinet Aids
in Both Domestic and Foreign
Negotiations.

TO the Dawes report. If England does
not. then the French will be placed IN
the position of continuously maintain
ing their own guarantees in the Ruhr.
But England desires that French
armies be withdrawn. She likewise
would follow the suggestion of the
Dawes commission that there be COM
plete surrender of economic and in
dustrial control of the French, re-
placing il in the hands OF the Ger
mans. AS matter Of fact, the Brit
ish believe that in the latter method
of occupation the Germans have less
chance of progressing as intended by
the Dawes financiers, and as a conse-
quence may be ready to waive troop
withdrawal for a period OF years if
the French concede TO the looseninE
of financial and industrial fetters, both
in the Rhineland and the Ruhr. French
activities in the Rhineland also prove
worrisome TO the British. and in any
agreement undoubtedly will insist that
French activities there cease also.
Rhineiznd Situation.
In regard to this phase of the stu
alton the British bureau for Ruhr in
formation says:
in view of the many recent sug-
gestions that the Rhineland shall b.
neutralized or internationalized under
the league of nations it is partic
ularly interesting to survey the ad
ministrative conditions in the area
at the present moment. AS rule
when an army occupies foreign coun-
try troops are quartered in the big
towns and martial law operates only
when their safety is menaced. Ar
ticle ) of the Rhineland convention
provides that civil administration Of
the occupied areas is TO remain III
the hands of the German local aU-
thorities, who shall continue under
German law and under the AUTHORITY
Of the central German government.
In practice the French have eStab-
lished complete bureaucratic control
in the RhinelAnd German Officials
are under French control not only
in matters which concern the troops,
but in matters dealing with the Ger
number of ordinances and regulations
have been issued, which are described
as follows by prominent Rhine
lander: There are scores of regula
ticns. new ones appear almost ever
day, and ii is very doubtful If am
one in the area could give d correct
statement on. or summary OF, the
laws and regulations. The amount
OF unproductiVe work involved is very
great Large firms find it takes the
whole time of at least one person TO
deal with the regulations alone. Tho
special COZ respondent of the Man
airy l, gives the following account
of the administrative penetration Of
the French
system of Virtual Bondage.
He visited a little township, called
at the town hall. and the burgo-
master placed the filed dossiers at his
disposal MY first impression was
one Of amazement at the enormous
number Of ordinances. instructions.
inquiries and communications of all
kinds passing between the burgo-
master on the one hand and the sub
delegate, the district delegate and
the inter-allied Rhineland commission
on the other, all making up a cor
passing between the burgomaSter
and his own German superiors. There
was one communication from the
! Subdelegate asking for a detailed
report on food conditions in the To-
| cality. Another related to prices. an
| other TO Unemployment. another to
| the police. All communications from
the delegate were in French. fact
that has caused great difficulties. for
! 1t is not every town and village that
has an interpreter This system OF
virtual bondage was not suddenly
! imposed. Any burgomaster or chief
| of police who insisted on his rights
! was expelled. imprisoned or fined:
and by degrees all the leaders or
promoters of legitimate German in
dependence were expelled. Those who
were left felt the position to be
HOPELESS. and gradually submitted.
/ French secret Service.
Every one of any prominence is
watched by the vast French secret
service. In the Rhineland even the
! French delegates are under observa
ton. Persons who are suspected,
| justly or unjustly, are exiled, i'm
! prisoned or fined. Whole communi-
ties are penalized for of1enses com
mitted by unknown persons Severe
! fines are imposed, martial law pro-
! claimed and leading citizens are ar
/ rested. The psychological effect OF
T! this long continued strain is very
serious. The separatist raids stirred
F! up intense bitterness. but this inces-
! SAINT pressure is wearing the people
| down. and the fear OF expulsion is
| becoming almost as bad as expulsion
J itself. 1t is just possible that in re,
! turn for concessions made by Ger
many, and also by Great Britain.
France might withdraw her armies
| from the Rhine. but until this French
| bureaucratic system is entirely re-
4
| reality. be free"
Must Be "Give nnd Take"
! Undoubtedly there must be much
give and take before the French and
| British viewpoints are reconciled and
the entente. in the fullest sense Of
) the word. is revived and a going.
| living thing. But it is believed that
| Premier Poincare has placed himself
in an enviable position not only
to dominate domestic affairs but
, through II cabinet composed of all
| important political factors, may dis
/ abuse the minds of the English that
/ France will be divided and weak
| ened as result of the defeat OF
| Poincare followers in coming elec-
tionS. For there will be no defeat,
save through the most remote of con-
tingencies Allied agreement. there
| fore, may be hastened by the cab
! met upheaval and consequent rcor-
/ ganiza ation.