Tag: 100 Years Ago

4 FEBRUARY 1923

David Lloyd George, the former Prime Minister, said that he felt the American debt terms agreed by Stanley Baldwin, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, were “very hard”. He added that he would though support the measures, but he had concerns about the future of Europe. At the end of the war, the UK owed the US approximately $4.7 billion, which proved to be a significant burden on the British economy. The debt was finally fully paid off in 2006, over 90 years after the end of World War I.

The death of James William Herschell Gully, 2nd Viscount Selby (1867–1923) was announced. His father had been William Court Gully, 1st Viscount Selby, who had served as the Speaker of the House of Commons between 1895 and 1905. James married Ada Pirie in 1893, but divorced her in 1909, marrying Dorothy Grey in the same year. He died at the age of 55 and his son, Thomas Gully, became the new Viscount.

Wal Hannington, the leader of the unemployed ‘hunger marchers’ was arrested in Coventry for offences that had been alleged to have taken place in Rugby. Before his arrest, he was walking with 130 other marchers from London to Birmingham.

3 FEBRUARY 1923

Billy Hughes, the 7th Prime Minister of Australia, confirmed his resignation, having served in the role since October 1915.

Irish Senator John Bagwell, from the Irish State Parliament, came to England following his escape from the Irregulars who had kidnapped him.

More homes of members of the Irish Free State legislature were destroyed by arsonists, with Senator Thomas Linehan’s mansion at Whitechurch near Cork burned to the ground. Moore Hall, the ancestral home of Senator Maurice George Moore was also destroyed by arsonists and historic furniture lost in the fire. This building was never repaired and its external walls still remain standing to this day.

Details were given of the Indian Government Bill which would reform the situation that existed whereby European British subjects and Indians were treated differently in criminal trials and proceedings. Unsuccessful efforts had been made forty years before to give equality in law, but these had been unsuccessful at the time.

2 FEBRUARY 1923

The French Government said to the UK that in the event of the Lausanne Conference failing to reach agreement, then France would undertake its own private negotiations.

The Russians refused to sign the Straits Convention at the Lausanne Conference. The Straits Convention of Lausanne was a treaty signed later in 1923 between several European and Middle Eastern countries which regulated the use of the Turkish Straits (Bosporus and the Dardanelles). It granted the right of passage to all commercial and war ships, with certain exceptions. The Convention also granted Turkey sovereignty over the straits, but gave the naval powers the right to maintain fortifications along the straits. The Lausanne Convention helped ease tensions between Turkey and the naval powers, and established the basis for the use of the Turkish Straits for many years to come.

Attempts were made in occupied Ruhr Valley to destroy a number of trains, with the French authorities arresting a number of German railway workers.

Senator Bagwell, who had been kidnapped by Irish terrorists, was released by his captors.

The British Government asked Jersey and Guernsey to contribute towards the cost of the Imperial Exchequer.

1 FEBRUARY 1923

Agreement was made between the UK and USA with regards to repayment of the World War One loans. Previously there had been a dispute about the level of interest rates which should be paid, leading to Stanley Baldwin visiting the United States to be able to negotiate an agreeable figure.

Andrew Bonar Law, the Prime Minister, rejected a request made by Ramsay MacDonald, the Leader of the Opposition, to recall Parliament to discuss the Ruhr valley crisis.

French martial law was imposed in Essen, following their seizure of the Ruhr valley area.

A proclamation was issued by the military in Dublin stating that there would be reprisals if Senator Bagwell, who had been kidnapped earlier in the week, wasn’t released.

31 JANUARY 1923

General Jean Degoutte, the French military Commander in the occupied Ruhr Valley, warned the Germans that they would take sterner measures against the country unless there was a change in the reparations policy. French sources said that they weren’t intending to take over more territory given the difficulties they were having keeping control in the Ruhr Valley.

The Irregulars continued their attacks in Ireland, attacking and burning down the mansions of Lord Mayo and Sir Horace Plunkett.

The death of Arthur Kinnaird, 11th Lord Kinnaird, was announced, a Scottish Peer who had also served as the President of the Football Association for 33 years.

30 JANUARY 1923

The French widened their policy of arresting all German officials in the Ruhr Valley who failed to help them in their occupation of the area. All officials who refused to help were not just subject to arrest, but also expulsion from the region.

Numerous bombs went off in Dublin along with a number of residential properties which were firebombed. There were also attacks on the National Guards at City Hall and at the Central Telephone Exchange.

Ramsay MacDonald, the Leader of the Labour Party, demanded that Parliament be recalled so that the crisis in the Ruhr Valley could be discussed and debated by Parliamentarians.

A number of hunger marchers from Scotland raided hotels and restaurants in Brighton demanding food for which they said they wouldn’t be paying for. The authorities said that 11 people were arrested for the crimes.

British authorities confirmed that Germany had ordered 300,000 tons of coal and that the orders would be fulfilled.

29 JANUARY 1923

A general strike of railwaymen started in the Ruhr Valley which was the area of Germany occupied by French troops.

Stanley Baldwin, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed rumours that he had been unable to get agreement in the United States about the repayment of the British war debt owed to them. Despite this Warren Harding, the President of the United States, announced that he was confident that agreement would soon be reached on the interest rates that needed to be paid.

The Turks refused to hand over the British war graves in the Gallipoli Peninsula to the Allies, causing Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon to condemn Ismet Pasha for not allowing those men from Australia and New Zealand to lie in peace. He said that the ground was valueless to Turkey or any human being, but for Australia and New Zealand it was a matter of the greatest sentiment and consideration.

28 JANUARY 1923

The media reported that the French were about to cut off the Ruhr region from the rest of Germany following their occupation of the area. The French had successfully taken control of the region, but their army had been attacked by mobs in two German towns. The British confirmed that their Rhine army would stay in place for the time being although the Cabinet did discuss their withdrawal.

It was feared in Berlin that a coup might take place led by Hitler’s troops in Munich to overthrow the King and replace him with Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria.

The visit of Stanley Baldwin, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the United States to discuss the war loans owed by Britain failed to reach an early resolution. Baldwin wanted to pay an interest rate of around 2.5% on the debt of £856 million, whereas the Americans had said a higher rate of around 3% would be necessary to be accepted by Congress.

27 JANUARY 1923

Winston Churchill confirmed that he was not intending to rejoin the Unionist Party, saying about the rumours that “this statement is quite untrue and unfounded. I am still continuing the rest which I was ordered by my doctors, and have not given any thought whatever to the political situation. I should also like to contradict the rumours that I am seeking to stand for various seats. These rumours are all equally without foundation”.

The Reparation Commission refused to grant a moratorium to Germany siding with France and Belgium.

Telegraph wires connecting Dublin and parts of the South of Ireland were cut, including disruption to Cork, Limerick and Tralee. A passenger train from Dublin to the West of Ireland was derailed and wrecked.

26 JANUARY 1923

The German Railwaymen’s Union in Essen sent a strong message to the French Government telling it to withdraw from taking control of German services in the Ruhr Valley. They said that there were growing safety issues and ordered their workers not to support the French authorities in the occupied region.

A general strike began of boatmen on the Rhine, causing a suspension of all freight traffic on the river.

A committee appointed by the Bishop of London recommended demolishing a number of city churches that weren’t well used to raise more money by selling off the sites. Opponents of the idea complained that many of the churches were designed by Christopher Wren and had significant historic interest, with a decision to be made by the future Church of England Representative Assembly.

Dublin authorities confirmed that they had executed two men in Waterford for illegally possessing ammunition and firearms. The two men, Michael Fitzgerald and Patrick O’Reilly, brought the number of people executed to 50 over the last three month period.