THE TERMS OF PEACE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1920, Page 5

THE TERMS OF PEACE

RUSSIA’S CONDITIONS

READ IN THE COMMONS

PREMIER RETICENT

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

Received this day at 10 a.in. LONDON, August 10. In the House of Commons, Mr AsqniLi said that he regretted that the Premier’s speech had not contributed to the removal of the difficulties of maintaining peace. The House should have an opportunity, before Britain took any warlike steps’, of reviewing the whole situation. Mr Lloyd George, replying, said lie had just received from Kameneff the terms of I lie armistice and the peace preliminaries which were submitted at Minsk by the Russians, although Kameneff added that these terms might he supplemented, hut the details were of secondary moment. The following- are the terms : 1. The strength of (lie Polish armies must be reduced by one annual contingent up to 50,000 men, the commands and admin-* istration of the Army to aggregate 10,000 men. 2. The demobilisation to take place within one month. 3. All arms over such as may he required for the needs of (he reduced Army as .well as for civic militia shall _ he handed over to Soviet Russia. 4. That all war industries shall he demolihised. 5. That no troops or war material shall he allowed to come from abroad. 0. That facilities he placed at the disposal of Russia for commercial transit to and from the Baltic.

7. Free land to be Granted to live dependents ■ of Polish soldiers killed in the war. On the other hand, on a parallel with demobilisation, Russian and Ukrainian troops shall he withdrawn from the Polish front. Upon the determination of these operations a number of Russian troops on the Russian frontier line shall he considerably reduced and fixed at a figure to he agreed upon. The armistice line is to he a status quo hut not further east than the one indicated in Earl Curzon’s Note of July 20 th. The Polish Army shall withdraw to a distance o° fifty versts from that line, the zone between being neutral. Finally, the frontier of the independent State of Poland shall in the main he identical with the line indicated in Earl Curzon’s Note of July 20th, hut additional territory shall he given to Poland. Mr Lloyd George said that immediately on receipt of this ielegiam and after consultation with his colleagues he had communicated the terms to Poland, France and Italy. The Russian Government insisted on direct negotiations with live Polish Government, They were entitled to direct negotiations. and having taken that course he was of opinion that it would he unfair when the delegates from both sides were meeting to express an opinion which might embarrass the discussions. Received this dav at 12.10 p.m.) PARIS, August 11. Franco recognises Wrangel as the head of the South Russian Government and thus military assistance is implied by France. Lloyd George was notified of the decision. LONDON, August 11. The Northcliffe organs and the newspapers generally applaud Mr. Lloyd George’s speech as an admirable exposition of the true facts of the situation. NEW YORK, August 11. A Warsaw message reports that the populace is stampeding from the city. The State Department at Washington is advised that some members of the American Legation staff at Warsaw moved to Posen. The American Archives have been packed ready for removal.

PAPER SHORTAGE

SERIOUS POSITION.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this day at 12.10 p.m. TORONTO, August 10. The New Zealand delegates to the Press Conference deputationised Mr Foster regarding paper supplies, and pointed out the serious position of the Dominion newspapers. The Minister gave a sympathetic reply and promised to assist in every possible way. The New Zealanders are greatly impressed by the developments and potentialities of the Niagara water-power. The civic expansion and industrial enterprise in Toronto and the surrounding towns, resulting largely from cheap power, led the delegates unanimously to express the opinion that the Dominion should lose no time in accelerating its hydro-electric schemes.