THE PEACE CONFERENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 45

THE PEACE CONFERENCE

KNOTTY PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED. M. CLEMENCEAU APPOINTED CHAniMAN. (By Cable.) THE DELEGATES. It is officially announced that Britain, France, the United States, Italy, and Japan will each have five peace delegates at Versailles; Australia, Canada, South Africa, and India two each; New Zealand and Newfoundland one each. Belgium and Serbia will each have two delegates and Brazil Chree. It is also announced that each country will have only one vote. Mr N Keith Murdoch, writing from Paris, says: "It appears that President Wilson Btro'ngly opposes the dominions appearing as small nations, and is forcing considerable opposition. M. Clemenceau cordially supports the British view. Mr Lloyd George, in an emphatic speech, contrasted the dominions' long services and heavy losses with those of certain other Powers. General regret is expressed that New Zealand's representation at the; Peace. Conference is limited to one;- but it is pointed ' out that when Mr Massey attends as a British delegate Sir Joseph Ward can attend as New Zealand's delegate. French wUI be the official language. ME MASSEY AND SIR JOSEPH WARD. The Ophir has arrived at Plymouth with Mr Massey and Sir J. G. Ward and party all well. Many New Zealanders welcomed Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward on arrival at Paddington. Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, interviewed in London, stated that they were dissatisfied that New Zealand had only one delegate at the conference. This wa3 quite contrary to the earlier understanding with the British Government, but they preferred not to discuss the matter until they had seen the authorities on Monday. , As British Ministers will be frequently foing backwards and forwards between 'aris and England their places on the delegation are likely to be. filled by overseas representatives. Each delegation is ra unit, and the number of its members does not influence the voting or status. A BABELi OF WORLD POLITICS. 1 The great hotels and bureaux of Paris are a babel of world politics, in which plans long pondered are being modified and made ready for the meeting of the conference, and the possibilities of compromise are being disclosed. Mr Lloyd George and Mr Bonar Law had several conferences with Messrs Hughes, Cook, and other dominion ministers, in order that the latter may be able to Bit at the conference table in turn as full British representatives in case Mr Lloyd George and Mr Bonar Law should be compelled to return to London in connection with the opening of Parliament, as is quite likely. Though the fact that the British Empire has 13 spokesmen is arousing criticism, the importance of the matter may easily be exaggerated, for the number of delegates has no connection with the voting power, though voting will probably not play a large part at the conference. Otherwise it is impossible to reconcile the fact that the British Empire has six voters, while the United States has only one. COMPOSITION OF THE CONFER- '. ENCE. Sixty-two delegates, grouped according to their nations, will all be seated round a horseshoe-shaped table in the famous Clock Room at the Foreign Office. President Poincare will enter and deliver a speech of welcome, and will then retire, M. Clemenceau taking the chair. The first business will be the appointment of an Interallied Committee, including a president, vice-presidents, and general secretariat. Decisions covering procedure were reached at meetings which have been held since January 12, and will be read and ratified and the document afterwards issued for publication. An analysis of the conference's geographical groups shows that North and South America have 16 members and nine votes, Europe 39 members and 10 votes, Asia 10 members and four votes, Africa three members and three votes, and Oceania three members and two votes. Politically Great .Britain has 14 delegates and six votes, and France only one vote, as none of her colonies has secured representation, although this is likely to be remedied. ORDER OF PROCEDURE. It has been decided to divide the peace deliberations into three stages: The first relates to procedure and hours, number and status of delegates to be present, and the official language to be use'd for discussions. The second relates to a number of urgent matters, such as the Russian and Polish situations; also German Bolshevism. The third stage will be the conference proper, at which the formation of a League of Nations must be given precedence.. THE CONFERENCE OPENS. M. Poincare (French President) opened the Peace Conference. A large crowd witnessed the arrival of the world's diplomats. The scene was without spectacular significance, but the conference, which assembled in the Great Salon, had special features of its own The salon was resplendent with gold and crimson ancient tapestries. At the head of the table the American delegates were grouped on M. Poincare's right, and the British delegates on his left.

M. Poincare welcomed the delegates. He said he saw in the decision to hold the conference in Paris the homage of all the nations represented towards the country which more than any other had endured the sufferings of war. He referred to the successive entry of the Allies into the struggle, and felicitated each nation upon its efforts individually, especially paying a tribute to Great Britain and her dominions. The conference listened standing, while a sense of the awful responsibility seemed to descend and cause a thrill of earnestness. President Wilson moved that M. Clemenceau be permanent president. He said the conference must be regarded as the supreme crowning of diplomatic history. Never had so many nations been represented with a view to settling problems. He paid a tribute to M. Clemenceau's fitness for the position of president. Mr Lloyd George supported the motion, referring to M. Clemenceau as the greatest young man of France. M. Clemenceau, replying, said that the ambitions of those assembled were..great. They wished to avoid a repetition of the world catastrophe. All must remain united if the League of Nations was to be practicable. He added that he had consulted two eminent jurists on the penal responsibility of the Kaiser, and their reports would be submitted to all the delegates. As regards the responsibility for the enemy's crimes in war time, all the Powers were invited to submit memoranda, and thereupon the question of a League of Nations would head the agenda for the next sitting. The conference then adjourned. REPORTING PROCEEDINGS. Following protests sent to Mr Lloyd George by the British Empire Press Union and by Americans to President Wilson, the conference, before announcing its decision regarding publicity, sent representatives to a meeting of French, British, American, and Italian journalists and requested them to formulate a scheme securing fuller publicity. The British journalists favoured one of their members attending the conference and furnishing a semi-official statement daily. The Americans appealed for a practically open conference. RUSSIAN REPRESENTATION. M. Pichon, replying to the British Government's proposal that the All-Russian Government be invited to declare a truce, paid a tribute to the generous spirit of universal reconciliation, but declined to agree to the inelusion of the Bolshevists owing to their criminal practices. France is agreeable to the proposed invitation being given to other Russian Governments. Latest reports indicate that there was no difficulty in reaching a decision respecting the Russian Bolshevists. A semiofficial exchange if views revealed a general agreement with M. Pichon's standpoint. The New York Sun's Paris correspondent states that the American Peace Delegation is not showing a willingness to reorganise the Soviet regime in but favours sending a commission to Russia to investigate the conditions. There is also talk of inviting representative Soviets to come to Paris and present their case. RUSSIA AND POLAND. Mr Keith Murdoch, dealing with the matters for discussion at the Peace Conference, says: Uppermost of the urgent problems is the situation in Russia and Poland. Its effect on Germany is clear; indeed, Bolshevism is casting a shadow which creeps over the whole conference. Trotsky's army, variously estimated at from 500,000 to 800,000, is marching westward. Though authorities differ regarding its size, none questions its . object. It aims .at establishing Bolshevism in Germany and then creeping further on. The conference will tackle this question immediately after the formal procedure is settled as the most vital primary subject. Meanwhile it can be said that_ Britain never proposed recognition of Lenin's Government, but was and is still in favour of finding out what Lenin and the other Russian Governments have to say about the future, and what they propose. Mr Murdoch adds: It has been finally decided to admit Japan to the conference with full power and five delegates—a similar standing to her Western allies. * LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Sir Hy. Babington Smith, Acting British Commissioner in the United States, said in a speech that President Wilson's demand for a League of Nations rightly interprets the earnest desire of the whole world. " I am firmly convinced," he added, " that there is unity in the aims of Great Britain and the United States. The divergencies mean differences regarding methods, and these can easily be reconciled." The United Pr6ss Paris correspondent states: The League of Nations can now be considered as a virtually established fact, as M. Clemenceau, Mr Lloyd George, and Signor Orlando are pledged to support President Wilson's basic ideas regarding the league. Italy, France, Great Britain, and the United States thus solidly support the league. Mr Roosevelt's last article published savs: —" We all desire a League of Nations, only we wish to be sure' that it will help, and not hinder, the cause of a world peace and justice. Nobody knows what President Wilson means by his 14 points, and all talk of adopting them as the basis of peace or the league is nonsense. Would it not be wise to begin by forming a league composed of the Allies who have fought in the great war together? Let us see that real justice is done to these Allies at the peace table." A cable message from President Wilson states that the prospect of agreement on the League of Nations question is at present most favourable.

REFERRED TO A COMMITTEE. The Peace Conference has decided to refer the question of a League of Nations to an inter-Allied commission for an early report. Germany will not be represented until everything of importance is settled. THE HOHENZOLLERN FAMILY. It is reported that the French delegates will demand at the conference that the ex-Kaiser and all male members of the Imperial Family shall be exiled to Algiers. The statement is made that the French General Staff is responsible for the proposal, on the ground that there can be no safety while the Hohenzollerna remain at liberty. FRENCH* DEMANDS. The Exchange Telegraph's Paris correspondent states that France has formulated . the following demands: The enemy shall bear the burden of the French war loans and pensions; repay all fines, imposts, and taxes levied on occupied territory; pay a general indemnity for all war destruction, as, for example, machinery, tools, and securities; and indemnify the French collieries, factories, landlords, and farmers for the period during which their capital remained unproductive. RUMANIA'S STATUS. There is some uncertainty concerning Rumania's status. She entered the war at the promise of territorial gains, which apparently cannot now stand in the light ot President Wilson's points, which has been accepted as the basis of the armistice. The treatment of Bucharest also raises a difficulty, but it is unlikely that Rumania's acceptance thereof will be regarded as terminatingl Rumania's role as an ally. The Conference is also obliged to decide exactly the status of the New Serbia, which is supposed now to include Montenegro, but has not yet been formally recognised by the Allies. UNITED SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO. The Daily Chronicle's Paris correspondent states that, simultaneously with the arrival of the representatives of the socalled United Kingdom of Serbians. Croatians, and Slovenes, the so-called Government of Montenegro, representing ex-King Nicholas and his friends, has issued a manifesto to the newspapers denouncing Nicholas's dethronement and the union of Montenegro with Serbia as illegal. They declare their intention of invoking the aid of the Peace Conference to restore Nicholas. On the other hand, five ex-Premiers and other notables at Cettinje have issued a declaration in favour of union. The Serbian Government's estiriiafe of the damage caused by the Austro-Ger-man-Bulgarian invasion is eight milliards of marks (over £300,000,000). Mr Fraser writes: The Jugo-Slav Committee in Paris has protested against the admission to the Peace Conference of Serbian delegates to the exclusion of Jugoslavs from the Austro-Hungarian provinces now incorporated with Serbia. The committee claims that the. transformed Serbia possesses no pCTrely Serbian Government. AMBITIOUS GREECE. M. Venizelos states that Greece hopes to realise a Greater Greece, based on nationality, by the acquisition of the Northern Epirus, Thrace, Asia Minor, and the iEgean Islands. There are nearly three million Greeks in South-east Europe outside the boundaries of Greece. Though Greece's claim to Thrace cuts off Bulgaria from the iEgean Sea, Greece is willing to provide Bulgaria -with an outlet. Greece historically can lay claim to Constantinople, but M. Venizelos thinks the international control of that city is the best solution of that problem. The United Press's Paris correspondent states that Greece will request that' Constantinople be made the capital of Greece or an international capital. A HUNGARIAN VIEW. The United Press Budapest correspondent interviewed Count Karolyi, who said: "Peace must be social and economic, as well as political, and be based on President Wilson's points, or there will be war again within a few years. Hungary's only hope is President Wilson's principles, which will govern the Peace Conference. Hungary's entire policy will be Wilsonian. Budapest is on the verge of Bolshevism. Hungary cannot do anything until it is reorganised. The Entente, our erstwhile enemies, must assist us. I advocate the formation of a commission, headed by Americans, to fit Hungary's boundaries. ' WANT RECOGNITION. A delegation from the Transcaucasian Georgia has arrived in London to urge the recognition of Georgia's independence as a small nation. Sinn Fein M.P.'s at Dublin vesterday discussed the question of a National Assembly, and appointed Messrs De Valera and Griffiths and Count Plunkett as delegates to the Peace Conference. ITALY AND THE JUGO SLAVS. The Daily Express's correspondent at Geneva states that an Innsbruck telegram reports a serious . situation between the Slavs and the Italians. A mobilisation has been ordered of the South Slav nations next week, including 10 of the elite classes, who will endeavour to get into touch with the Czechs in Pressburg (on the Danube, between Vienna and Budapest. The chief centre of trouble is Fiume, whither the Italians are sending a fleet to support their troops. The Daily Telegraph's Milan correspondent says that the great Peace Conference question for Italy is the settlement of the boundaries of Jugo-Slovakia and Italy. The depths to which the Italian people are stirred is Incredible to outsiders. The vast

majority of them believe that if the Italian claims are denied Italy's war sacrifices will have been in vain. The Daily Chronicle states that Baron Sonnino, Italian Foreign Minister, demanded the East Adriatic coast as a frontier to Austria when Austria was still compact and formidable, but Italy now need fear no external enemy, and the Peace Conference can moderate the demand in its Jugo-Slav programme if this is exaggerated. The League of Nations correspondent learns that Italy has definitely abandoned her Imperialistic programme and accepted the Anglo-American ideas of a democratic peace, thus removing one stumbling-block of the conference. FOOD, FINANCE, AND SHIPPING. Official: The associated Governments have established a supreme council consisting of representatives of the Conference for Italy, the United States, and Great Britain to deal with the food, financial, and shipping resources in connection with revictualling and supplying liberated and enemy territory, and to co-ordinate such supplies for Allied and neutral countries. At the instance of the War Cabinet, Lord Reading and Sir J. Beale will represent Great Britain for the time being on the council, and >will leave London immediately for Paris. * The American representatives will be Messrs Hoover and Norman Davis, and the French MM. Clemenceau" and Vilgrain. The Italian representatives are arriving at Paris. Certain emergency measures have been already taken, whereby assistance can be rendered to Serbia and Rumania. Concerning Austro-Germany, an inter-Allied Commission has been working for some ttfne, Sir W. Beveridge (of the Food Ministry) having met representatives of Vienna and Austro-German territories at Berne. The commission has since proceeded to Vienna and Prague. The food situation in those territories is serious, and is rendered more serious by transport and financial difficulties. Interim arrangements are being made for the supply or a certain quantity of foodstuffs. Some supplies have been already sent to Vienna. Further action will doubtless be required when the commission reports to the Supreme Council. The associated Governments are fully alive to the importance of the problems of supplies, and have every reason to hope that the Supreme Council will shortly be able to, establish a comprehensive scheme dealing with the whole situation.