France invades German Ruhr

Martial law has been proclaimed by the French in the occupied area of the Ruhr. A message from Berlin states that telephonic communication with Essen is suspended. It is supposed that the first French contingents have already occupied the Essen post office and railway station. The advance commenced at midnight and the arrival of the French troops on the Ruhr frontier was reported an hour later. It is reported that the German population is calm and is awaiting the French occupation without apprehension. The French Rhine flotilla is participating in the Ruhr movement, and is policing the Rhine tributaries and canals. Advices from Dusseldorf state that there was no opposition and no demonstration when the force, which set out on a wide front, started. It includes a large number of tanks, field guns, armoured cars, lorries, cyclists, and even gas masks. A French proclamation issued at Dusseldorf states that the local administration will continue to function. There will be no curfew, but the carrying of arms is forbidden. Only the lower employees remain in Essen. They have been ordered not to help the French engineers. When the troops entered Essen the streets were empty and the shops and restaurants closed.

A coalition government?

Mr Massey unquestionably occupies the strongest strategical position. The view that the alternative to strengthening his position in the House is another appeal to the electors has been strongly expressed by Sir John Findlay in an interview during the week: "The policies of the Reform and Liberal parties have steadily converged upon each other; there is now really little that separates them, and some kind of concordat between them seems the best solution of the present impasse. I believe at any rate that this country would prefer such a concordat to another general election, which would probably reproduce the present situation in a more aggravated form." There can be no doubt that a general election is not only not desired by the people, and least of all by the successful candidates, and we have had no hesitation in arriving at the conclusion that Parliament will devise a method by which a dissolution may be avoided. Moreover, the method may be of such a kind as will serve the interests of the dominion as a whole. — editorial— ODT, 13.1.1923

Compiled by Peter Dowden