RENOUNCED RIGHTS

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 131, 3 June 1919, Page 5

RENOUNCED RIGHTS

IN THE SHATTERED EMPIRE. LITOVSK TREATY ANNULLED. The high contracting parties recognise and accept the frontiers of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, the Serbian-Croatian-Slovene State, and the Czecho-Slovak State as at present, or as ultimately determined. Austria renounces in favour of the principal Allied and associated Powers all her rights and titles over the territories formerly belonging to her which, though outside the new frontiers of Austria, have not at present been assigned to any State, undertaking to accept the settlement to be made in regard to these territories. The exact boundary betw 'en Austria and the Czecho-Slovak State is to be fixed by a field commission of seven members, five nominated by the principal Allied and associated Powers, and one each by Austria and the Czechoslovaks. The Czecho-Slovak State agrees to embody in a treaty with the principal Allied and associated Powers such provisions as may be deemed necessary to protect racial, religious or linguistic minorities, and to assure freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of other nations. I Austria similarly recognises the comI pletc independence of the Serbian-Croa- | tian-Slovene State, and renounces her rights and titles. A similarly appointed field commission, including a member nominated by the Serbian-Croatian-Slo-vene State, is to fix the exact boundary. The question of the basin of Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, is reserved. The Serbian-Croatian-Slovene State agrees to a similar treaty for the protection of minorities and freedom of transit. Rumania agrees to a similar treaty for the protection of minorities and the*freedom of transit. RUSSIAN RIGHTS. Austria is to recognise and respect the full independence of all the territories which formed part of the former Russian Empire. She is to accept definitely the annulment of the Brest Litovsk treaty, and of all treaties or agreements of all kinds concluded since the revolution of November, 1917, with all Governments or political groups on the territory of the former Russian Empire. The Allies reserve all rights on the part of Russia for restitution and satisfaction to be obtained from Austria on the principles of the present treaty. Austria is to consent to the abrogation of the treaties of 1839 by which Belgium was established as a neutral State'and her frontiers fixed, and to accept in advance any convention with which the Allies may determine to replace them. Austria adheres to the abrogation of the neutrality of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, and accepts in advance all international agreements as to it reached by the Allied and associated Powers. LANGUAGE FACILITIES. Austrian nationals belonging to racial, religious, or linguistic minorities are to enjoy the same protection as other Austrian nationals, in particular with regard to schools and other educational establishments, and in districts where a considerable proportion of Austrian nationals of other than German speech are resident facilities are to be given in schools for the instruction of children in their own language, and an equitable share of public funds is to be provided for the purpose. These provisions do not preclude the Austrian Government from making the teaching of German obligatory. They are to be embodied by Austria in her fundamental law as a Bill of Rights, and provisions regarding them are to be under the protection of the League of Nations. Outside Europe Au-tria renounces all rights, titles, and privileges as to her own or her allies' territories to all the Allied and associated Powers and undertakes to accept whatever measures are taken by the principal Allied Powers in relation thereto. Austria accepts all arrangements which the Allied and associated Powers make with Turkey and Bulgaria with reference to any rights, privileges or interests claimed in those countries by Austria or her nationals and not dealt with elsewhere. Austria accepts all arrangements which the ! Allied and associated Powers make with Germany concerning the territories whose abandonment was imposed upon Denmark by the treaty of ISG4. PROTECTION OF MINORITIES. In a series of special clauses Austria undertakes to bring Iter institutions into conformity with the principles of liberty and justice, and acknowledged that the obligations for the protection of minorities are matters of international concern, over which the League of Nations has jurisdiction. She assures complete protection of life and liberty to all the inhabitants of Austria without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race ' or religion, together with the right to the free exercise of any creed. All Aus- : trian nationals without distinction of race, language or religion are to be equal : before the law. No restrictions are to be imposed on the free use of any language in private or public, and reasonable facilities are to be given to Austrian nationals of non-German speech for the use of their language before the courts. The clauses as to Egypt, Morocco, China, and Siam are identical, after the necessary modifications, with those of • the German treaty except that, especially in the case of China, there is not the need for so great detail. The clause on penalties is identical with that in the German treaty, except for the omission of any provision similar to that calling for the trial of the ex- : Kaiser of Germany. The clause on reparations and the financial clauses are reserved. The miscellaneous provisions arc, after the necessary substitutions, virtually ; identical with those of the German treaty. FORTNIGHT FOR REPLY. AN ADRIATIC AGREEMENT. (Received 11.25 a.m.) PARIS, June 2. The Allies have grnntod Austria 15 lays to prepare her reply to the peace :erms. Prior to the presentation of the terms, Signor Orlando and Colonel House delated the Adriatic question with a view to agreement on final details. When the terms were presented, Count Renner, the Austrian leader, replied in French on behalf of the Austrians. Mr Balfour, Mr Lansing, M. Padercwski, and Signor Orlando were present. President Wilson arrived late owing to an automobile puncture. M. Clemenceau spoke for three minutes in presenting the terms. •