THE PEACE COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 17279, 18 February 1920, Page 4

THE PEACE COUNCIL

THE FRENCH PREMIER SATISFIED. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, February 15. Prior to returning to Paris M. Millerand informed Reuter’s representative that he was quits satisfied with the result of the conversations. The relations between Britain and France could not be better. There is a complete understanding between ns,” he concluded. 11 Th,e sky is dear. There are no clouds.” THE BULGARIAN TREATY. RATIFIED BY ITALY. ROME. February 15. Italy has formally ratified the Bulgarian Treaty. TREATY AMENDMENTS FORECASTED. LONDON, February 15. The dramatic decisions by the Allied Conference concerning the fate of the exKaiser and the German war criminals and the fate of Constantinople, followed by President Wilson’s bombshell, which threatens to destroy the proposed Jugoslav settlement, have stirred the world deeply. They are regarded in some quarters as indicating that revisions of the Treaty of Versailles may eventually be necessary. President Wilson’s Note is described by his intimates at Washington as indicative of the recovery of Mr Wilson’s vigor and determination to intervene actively in the world’s affairs. It is understood that President Wilson’s Note is a long document of eight typewritten pages, and is addressed to the Anglo-French Governments and not to the Italian Government. President Wilson examines the differences between the memorandum of December 9, to which he agreed, and the Paris compromise of January 20. He declares that if the compromise is adhered to the United States might be obliged to withdraw from the Treaty of Versailles. The nature of the reply to President Wilson’s memorandum is not disclosed, but |- s known to be uncompromising, emphasising that the complete agreement between Britain, France, and Italy is not merely on the subject of the Adriatic but on all questions before the Conference. THE ALLIES’ REPLY TO GERMANY. LONDON, February 17., The Supreme Council have issued a reply to the German Note of January 25, in which the German Government set out the grave political and economic consequences likely to arise through the surrender of the war criminals. The Powers record Germany’s declaration of her inability to cany out the terms of the Peace Treaty in regard to surrender, and they accordingly reserve the power to employ the rights which the treaty accords them. They note the German offer to open penal proceedings immediately before the Supreme Court at Leipzig against all those whose- extradition is notified, and also the undertaking that the Court will be under the most complete guarantees, and' that it will not be affected by other German judgments or court practice. MR LAW DEPRECATES PREMATURE DISCUSSION. A WEAK , COMPROMISE. LONDON, February 17. In the House of Commons, replying to Lord Robert Cecil, Mr Bonar Law* deprecated the premature publication or discussion of part of the peace settlement, which makes the work of the Peace Conference more difficult. He declared that the reports that the Allies abandoned their demand for the surrender of the war criminals ; that the United States dissented from the proposals of the Allies for a settlement of the Adriatic Question; and that the Allies decided to leave the Turks in possession of Constantinople, to be absolutely unauthorised. The new allied Note in regard to the war criminals sent to Germany would be published as soon as. it ■ was received in Germany. The Supreme Council in their latest Note 'to Germany point out that the offer accords with’the expressly-mentioned provision in Article 228 of ‘the treaty. The Allies therefore accept the offer, but reserve the right to decide by results whether Germany acts in good faith and administers punishment for the crimes committed. The Allies, however, intend to appoint a mixed Inter-allied Commission to collect evidence in support of the charges against the accused persons. The Powers reserve the right to decide whether Germany’s proposed procedure does not result in the accused’s escape of just punishment in which case they will exercise their full rights by submitting the cases to their own tribunals. ESTHONIA RATIFIES, MOSCOW, February 16. (Received February 18, at 11.50 a.m.) A wireless message states that the Esthonian Assembly ratified the Peace Treaty.