Evacuated

At 9 o'clock one bright, calm morning last week, French troops were drawn up before the Mine Owners' League Building, Essen, which for sometime has been French military headquarters.

A strong force of Green Police (German) and some French civilians were the only onlookers. Suddenly a sharp command broke the mortuary silence. The scene abruptly became charged with the tension of things about to happen. There was a snap, much shuffling and slapping as rifles came to a general salute. Then silence. General Guilleaume, commanding the French troops in the Ruhr area, had appeared on the steps of his headquarters. After reviewing the assembled troops, the General turned toward the building out of which he had come, stood at attention with the troops as honors were paid to the Tricolor which was slowly hauled down. More commands, and off to a local railway station moved the troops. The Ruhr occupation,* begun on the orders of Premier Poincare on Jan. 11, 1923, came to an end after 2 years, 6 months and 20 days. Germans were unimpressed. There were no tears, no jubilations--not until the last French poilu had gone, when, at 12 o'clock midnight, bells pealed, flags were waved, people sang and rejoiced.

*The Ruhr was occupied on the ground that Germany wilfully defaulted in delivery of reparations. According to the London Agreement of last year (TIME, Aug. 25), the Ruhr was to have been evacuated by Aug. 15, 1925. Duesseldorf, Duisberg and Ruhrort in Rhennish Prussia and not in the Ruhr (Westphalia) are also to be evacuated by that date.