THE RUHR: Passive Assistance

In the words of Lord Curzon to the Imperial Conference in London, passive resistance in the Ruhr has been supplanted by passive assistance.The towns of Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund, Witten, Horde, Bochum, however, recognized the legality of the Ruhr occupation by agreeing to pay their quota of the occupational costs to France and Belgium. In other places expulsion by the French of resisting population continued.

The French Government declined to make any move toward opening negotiations with the Germans until passive resistance stops throughout the Rhineland and until payments in kind from Germany ” have resumed their regular movement.” Meanwhile, the whole of Europe is hung in a state of alarmed suspense.

M. Poincareé stated that France will not interfere in the internal affairs of Germany, neither will she attempt ” any permanent domination of territories detached from Germany.” Her entire conduct is actuatedby the single desire to obtain payment of reparations.

The situation in the Ruhr seems likely to remain stationary until such time as the internal conditions in Germany are ameliorated, because the Berlin Government cannot effectively enforce the cessation of passive resistance while surrounded by enemies both within and without the Reich.