FRANCE AND THE DECISIONS.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. PARIS, Tuesday.

The refusal of the Germans to accept the Paris agreement has been promptly followed by the enforcement of military sanctions. Acting on the instructions received last night from London, the Allied troops carried out this morning the occupation of the three Rhine towns. No incidents are reported as having taken place. The first town to be occupied was Düsseldorf, which was entered at dawn by French, British, and Belgian troops, under General Simon, commanding the 154th Brigade. The British contingent consisted of cavalry and tanks, the Belgians provided infantry, and the French forces were made up of infantry, cavalry, engineers, artillery, armoured cars, and motor machine-guns. The British and French Rhine flotillas were ready to intervene if necessary. The occupying force had been brought up close to the town during the night, partly by water and partly in motor lorries; the Belgians were thus able to make their entry by the Rhine bridge, and the French and British from the south-east before the inhabitants were awake. Just before midday Franco-belgian troops, under General de Mostlebert, commanding the 226th Brigade, entered Duisburg, while simultaneously the Rhine flotilla occupied the adjacent town of Ruhrort. The combined operations are directed by General Gaucher, commanding the 77th Infantry Division. There is no official statement as to the number of troops employed in the work, but they are believed not to exceed ten or twelve battalions. In consequence of rumours as to the mobilisation of one or two classes and the retention with the colours of the 1919 class, which is due to be dismissed at the end of this month, the evening newspapers print an official note declaring that “for the moment the Ministry of War is not considering the maintenance of the 1919 class with the colours; Marshal Foch has, in fact, sufficient effectives at his disposal for the operations which the Allies have in view.”