French Press Delighted: Troops steady to Enforce Terms German Anxiety London, March 4.
The French press is very high in its praise of Mr. Lloyd George's speech which, it is pointed out, was delivered most opportunely on the eve of the inauguration of the new American president, as it makes clear that the Allies are united in imposing penalties on Germany.
There are signs that the Germans are very perturbed by the firmness of the Allies. Some Berlin newspapers point out that the German counter-proposals are by no means final but are merely a suggestion, though the "Berliner Tageblatt" defiantly declared that the Allies' demands are impossible and will again be rejected. The "Adit Uhr Abendblatt" suggests that fresh proposals may be made, perhaps from a third side.
The German cabinet discussed Mr. Lloyd George's speech until a Jate hour last night, but apparently the only opinion expressed was regret at the penalties which, it was declared, if imposed, would find Germany defenceless and would infringe the Treaty of Versailles.—Reuter.
New York, March 4.
A Paris telegram reports that the French railways have been ordered to hold themselves ready to transport troops to the German frontier. It is announced that 11,000 infantry, three cavalry corps, 1,000 guns and 300 aeroplanes are now on the frontier, the telegram states.
The concentration of cavalry at the Rhine bridgeheads is considered very important.—U. S. Navy Radio through Reuter.
"Germany Cannot Accept."
Berlin, March 4.
It is semi-officially announced that a committee of experts, presidered over by the Chancellor, Herr Fehrenbach, to-day discussed the economic effects of the threatened Allied measures, and unanimously came to the conclusion that although the measures would seriously affect German economic life, their effects could not prevent the German Government refusing to sign obligations "'which were impossible of fulfilment."
A similar conclusion was reached after a discussion between the Minister of the Interior and Parliamentary representatives of the occupied territory, when it was stated that the threatened measures were severe but not unexpected, and that the -Gevernment had as far as possible taken precautionary measures in view of the damage which it was feared would result.—Reuter.
Scene in the Reichstag, Berlin, March 4.
The attempt of Herr Loebe, the President of the Reichstag, to read Mr, Lloyd George's speech regarding reparations provoked very stormy scenes. The Communist deputy, Herr Hoffmann, on endeavouring to speak, was greeted with shouts of "Throw him out."
Herr Hoffmann's request that Herr Loebe should read the rest of the speech produced a storm of unparliamentary epithets, where. upon the sitting was adjourned.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.