The Ruhr

More than two years have rolled by since the French stirred the world to uneasiness by marching into the rich Ruhr territory to collect by armed force the reparations which Germany failed voluntarily to pay.

Hated more virulently by her enemies, shunned by many of her friends, France found that the price of collecting her due was almost prohibitive. Some 15 months later, she was morally a heavy loser if materially a slight gainer when a body of international experts under the now U. S. Vice President Charles G. Dawes marched to Berlin for an economic survey of the country.

The subsequent adoption of the Experts' Plan (for the payment of reparations) was performed in London on Aug. 15 of last year (TIME, Aug. 18). Under pressure from all sides, the then Premier Edouard Herriot of France promised, in the name of his country, to evacuate all Ruhr territory to a line running between Oberhausen, Muelheim, Kettwig within one year.

Last week, Premier Painleve of France decided to recognize the country's pledge. French and Belgian troops began to quit the Ruhr and, by Aug. 15, not a soldier of the occupation will be seen.