PEACE CONFERENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 17032, 1 May 1919, Page 3

PEACE CONFERENCE.

BELGIUM AGGRIEVED. THREAT OF WITHDRAWAL. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Gable Association. PARIS, April 29. Another critical situation haa developed. Six Belgian Ministers are in Paris as the result of a meeting of the Belgian Cabinet, at which the reparation scheme was itrongly denounced. The Belgians claim that an immediate large indemnity is essential in order to avoid a serious internal crisis and enable reconstruction work to proceed. The Cabinet threatens to withdrawn the Belgian relegates from the Conference if the scheme is not modified so as to provide that Belgium receive priority in initial payments of her whole share of tho indemnity within 10 years. ; The Council of Three will receive the Belgians to-day. GERMAN TACTICS. LONDON, April 30. The Geneva correspondent of the ‘ Daily Chronicle ’ states that the German Government and party leaders had a secret conference at Berlin and decided to ostentatiously oppose signing peace and to organise popular demonstrations to create a fictitious Cabinet crisis in order to secure amelioration of the terms. ITALY AND FIUME. LONDON, April 30. Romo telegrams report that Signor Orlando, in the Chamber of Deputies, urged the maintenance of a calm attitude. He said that Britain and France wished to loyally adhere to the Pact of London. They asked that Flume be an independent free city; but such freedom would be worthless if it did not respect Fiume’s desire to be united with Italy. WASHINGTON, April 50. Senator Lodge, in a statement, declared that Italy should have Flume, since her claims rested on the grounds of national safety. Mr Page, U.S. Ambassador at Rome, has telegraphed that Signor Orlando will be unable to return to Paris in time for the signing of the Peace Treaty. KiAO-CHAU. NEW YORK, April 29. The ‘New York World’s’ Paris correspondent states that the Peace Conference tentatively agreed that Japan should return Kiao-Chau to China. The date is not fixed. KAISER’S EXTRADITION. PARIS, April 29. The tribunal appointed to try the exKaiser will assume that the ex-Kaiser has the right of defence. The' Allies and America will request Holland to hand the •X-Kaiser over for trial. Other war criminal* will be tried by military courts. LEAGUE OF NATIONS. TWO CHIEF HURDLES. PARIS, April 29. At a plenary session of the council, M. Bonrgeoise referred to the French amendment for strengthening the League’s power against sudden military aggression. France considered the League weak in this Aspect. Baron Makino, addressing the Plenary Jouncil, regretted that the covenant of the -eague did not enunciate the principle of acial equality, leaving the Governments soncerned to devise in a fair spirit means o meet it. If just and equal treatment were denied to certain nationals it would have the significance of a certain reflection on I &eir quality and status, and their faith In the justice and righteousness of future international intercourse between members of the League might be shaken. This would be detrimental to the harmony and 50-operation on which the League could be securely built. Japan would not press the proposal at the moment, but the Japanese Government and people felt poignant regret at the Conference’s failure to approve of their just demand. They would continue to insist on the adoption cf the principle by the League in future. Sir Joseph Ward occupied a seat on the British panel at to-day’s plenary sitting >i the council. WASHINGTON, April 29. It is understood that the first meeting cf the League of Nations will be held at Washington.