THE PEACE CONFERENCE

Otago Witness, Issue 3400, 14 May 1919, Page 23

THE PEACE CONFERENCE

DEALING WITH DETAILS. (By Cable.) THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. M. Pichon presided afc the first sitting of the League of Nations Provisional Committee, Sir Eric Drummond officiating as secretary-general. A number of resolutions regarding organisation were passed, and committees were appointed to draft a departmental scheme. It is announced that the League's seat at Geneva will be ready early in 1920. TREATY WITH AUSTRIA. The Austro-Hungarian delegates have been invited to St. Germains, near Paris, to receive the peace term 3 about May 12. Austrian peace delegates have arrived ftt St. Germain. They are headed by Dr Klein, a German-Austrian lawyer. The Austrian peace terms provide for wiping out the Austrian navy. The Allied Council at Paris considered the question of reparations to be required from Austria. Financial experts have alao been consulted regarding the problem of financing Germany, Austria. Poland, and other States. ITALY AND FIUME. Signor Orlando and Baron Sonnino have arrived from Rome, and a settlement is Imminent, President Wilson receding from ois position regarding Flume. Italy has accepted the proposal to administer Flume for four years as a mandatory Power, and 'afterwards to become the absolute owner of the port. Gabriel D'Annunzio addressed many thousands. He violently denounced President Wilson and the Peace Conference. A resolution was carried warning the Allies not to open peace negotiations with Germany while Italy was absent, which would constitute a violation of the treaty. D'Annunzio was afterwards carried triumphantly to his hotel amidst a procession of 10,000. The U.S. State Department unofficially announces that Mr Wilson has not deviated a hair's breadth from his position regarding the Fiume dispute. "* AN AUSTRIAN PROTEST.

The Austrian Government, in a Note to the Entente, protests against the cession to Italy of old Tyrolean towns, bringing hundreds, of thousands of Germans under Italian control, contrary to the ninth of president Wilson's points, under which Austria agreed to the armistice. SECURITY OF FRANCE. The Echo de Paris says that the United States, Britain,. and France have agreed <>n supplementary guarantees of _ France's permanent security against invasion. The United States representatives at faris'agree to submit to Congress, and the British delegates agree to submit to Parliament, the engagements made, subject to the approval of the League of Nations, to come immediately to the assistance of France in case Germany unprovokedly attacks her. Le Matin (Paris) explains Italy's absence from the defensive alliance between Britain, France, and America, and says jjjignor Orlando was present at all tho conversations, but waited for the French to speak, while the French waited for Signor Orlando to express a wish to join. The result is regrettable, as the causes of the misunderstanding are of the slightest. JAPAN AND CHINA. The Manchester Guardian says: " The Peace Conference has given Japan virtual "domination in the Shantung Province, enabling her to secure a strong hold on commerce and politics in North China. Apparently Western Powers have not grasped {he full significance of what they have surrendered. The importance of the Chinese market will assert itself, and Western statesmen will then bitterly regret this injustice to China and to themselves." A Japanese official communique states that Japan will, return Shantung to China, retaining only the economic privileges granted to Germany and the right to establish a settlement at Tsing-Tau (Kiao-Chau Bay). The Chinese have issued a further statement expressing indignation at not receiving any official written communication respecting the Shantung settlement, which gives Japan even greater privileges than Germany possessed, inasmuch as Japan secures permanent control instead of for a fixed period of years. The Daily Express Tokio correspondent States that 'there is indignation at the relection of the racial equality amendment by the League of Nations. At a meeting of Opposition members a popular politician said : " If we had sided ,with Germany, Mr Hughes, instead of insulting Japan, would now be studying the moon from a German internment camp." Another leading Japanese asked: "Why 'don't the Anglo-Saxons declare for a White World instead of merely a White Australia, and warn the rest of us off the earth?" The New York Herald's Paris correspondent states that members of the Chinese Peace and of the special mission cabled their resignations to Peking when they learned the terms of the Shantung settlement. The Chinese Cabinet will refuse to sign the Peace Treaty, because of the Shantung decision at the Peace Conference. BELGIUM'S POSITION. Untfer King Albert's presidency the Belgian Cabinet discussed Belgium's position regarding the peace The Premier, interviewed, said the situation was serious and painful, and the offer made at Paris was completely at variance with earlier promises.

It is understood that Belgian representatives will ' consider the offer of £100,000,000 as being greatly inadequate. Members of Parliament, local councils, and public bodies urge the King and Government not to sign the treaty. President Wilson is unpopular. Kineniatograph audiences shouted " Down with Wilson" when his photographs were shown. Public "and semi-public bodies demand that the treaty be' not signed unless the free use of the Scheldt is granted. The Grand Council of Belgium, under the presidency of King Albert, while deciding to sign the treaty, drew the attention of the Allies to the grave economic and financial distress of Belgium, necessitating almost complete support. The Allies will release Begium from repayment of 240 million francs of loans, and besides will give Belgium priority in the matter of a German payment of ? hundred millions indemnity in gold.

The New York World's Paris correspondent says Germany will undertake to Eay the Belgian debts to the United tates. Belgium will receive a total of six billion dollars' indemnity from Germany, of which five hundred millions will be received privately. M. Vandervelde, interviewed, said that Holland and Belgium were negotiating in regard to the Scheldt, and a satisfactory solution had already virtually been reached.

Belgium has protested against the British mandate over East Africa, on the ground that Belgium at great cost and sacrifice contributed to the conquest and administration of a large portion of these territories. THE EX-KAISER. Government circles protest that international law does not justify the Allies' proposal to try the ex-Kaiser. They consider the proposal a belated act .of war, which might have been appropriate in the armistice terms but not in peace terms. The proposed tribunal would be a mere court-martial. An international tribunal constituted by the League of Nations would alone be likely to assure . a fair trial. Two thousand residents of Berlin have addressed a' letter to Mr Wilson' asking him to afford the ex-Kaiser protection. It is expected that the German Government will refuse his extradition. The ex-Kaiser has asked the German Government for permission to return to his Kadman Estate, in West Prussia. PRAISE FOR OVERSEA DELEGATES. ' Sir W., Sutherland, Mr Lloyd George's parliamentary secretary, addressing the juurnalists, said the service rendered by the dominion Prime Ministers and their colleagues at the conference was insufficiently recognised. Great Britain appeared to the only one of Allied countries who had not claimed to have won the war. When they considered the assistance given by the dominion delegates, they could not fail to be impressed by the enormous power of the British delegation. NEW ZEALAND'S MANDATE. CONTROL OF SAMOA. The mandate for New Zealand's control over Samoa is as follows: Germany renounces all her rights and title over the islands constituting German Samoa, also the Associated Powers entrust the government of the islands to his Britannic Majesty to be exercised by the New Zealand Government, who must have power over the islands as an integral part of the territory of New Zealand, and may apply New Zealand laws thereto, subject to such local modifications as circumstances may require. His Britannic Majesty, for the New Zealand Government, accepts the mandate upon the footing that the trust is imposed and accepted for the well-being and development of the peoples of the islands, and to that end undertakes that the slave trade and forced labour shall be prohibited. Traffic in arms and ammunition will be controlled in accordance with any general convention which may be entered into by the high contracting parties in this behalf. The sale of spirituous liquors to the natives shall be prohibited and mandatory. Military training other than for the purpose of internal police and the internal defence of the islands shall be prohibited. Furthermore, no military or naval bases shall be established, and no fortifications shall be erected in the islands, either by the Government of New Zealand or by any Power or person. The value of the property in the islands belonging to the German Government shall be assessed, and shall be recorded in an interallied repatriation fund, and regarded as allocated to share the Government of New Zealand expenses of the administration of the islands. If the revenues obtained from local sources are insufficient thev will be defrayed by the Government of New Zealand.

If at any time the native inhabitants of the. islands express a desire to be united with New Zealand, and the council of the League of Nations considers this desire to be conscious and well-founded, and calculated to promote the natives' interests, the Allied Associated Powers agree that effect shall be given to it by the council of the league, and the islands shall therefrom be incorporated in New Zealand for all purposes, and administration upnder this convention shall be regarded as at an end, provided that all undertakings set out in article 3 (including prohibition against the establishment of military or naval bases or fortifications) shall be maintained, and shall continue to operate in the islands after such incorporation. The inhabitants of the islands shall be entitled > to British diplomatic protection when in foreign countries. The Government of New Zealand will make an annual report containing full information in regard to the_ islands and the measures taken to fulfil the trust. Copies of the report to be presented to the League of Nations. THE ISLAND OF NAURU. Much interest has been taken by Aus-

tralians and New Zealanders in the disposal of the island of Nauru, in the South Pacific, which has been finally dealt with by the Council of the Allied Powers in a manner different from other former German colonies, a mandate having been given to the British Empire. Mr Massey contended from the outset of the conference on the subject that as a producing country requiring phosphates, New Zealand was vitally interested in the fate of the island, and suggested that it should be held under a form of mandate which would conserve the interests of both Australia and New Zealand. Objection to this was raised by the Australian delegate. The Colonial Office thought the mandate should go to the British Empire, so that all their interests might be considered, and to this Mr Massey was willing to consent. Australia again objected, urging that they had taken possession. To this the reply was that possession meant for the Empire, and not for any particular part of it. The official notice that Nauru is to be E'aced under a mandate to the British mpire may be interpreted to mean that Britain, Australia, and New Zealand will administer it under a- commissioner. In view of the fact that there is no more basic slag available in Great Britain for New Zealand farmers, it is essential that satisfactory arrangements should be made for the supply of phosphates. Mr Keith Murdoch writes : The Supreme Council rediscussed amongst other matters relating to German possessions, that of Nauru Island. A heated controversy arose between Mr Hughes and Mr Massey. The allotment of the mandate to the Empire is a temporary solution, and Lord Milner is coming to Paris to bring matters to finality. There is now a strong" probability of Mr Lloyd George intervening and of Australia getting an unconditional mandate, thus upsetting the British company, which during the war bought the German shares for £570,000, kept the price of phosphates high throughout the war, and now stands to make a colossal fortune. THE NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES. The New Zealand representatives are exceedingly anxious to return to the dominion at the earliest possible date, but they cannot leave until the treaty is signed the amount of the indemnity fixed and apportioned, the mandates in regard to the former German colonies finally determined, and other matters of great importance to New Zealand disposed of. It can be stated that any opinions as to the Germans signing or refusing to sign the treaty are mere speculation; but it is certain that the final settlement will be at least a little more protracted than was originally anticipated. ITALY AND'AFRICA; Italy's exclusion from the mandates is causing acute discontent. It is pointed out that Italy adhered to Mr Wilson's mandatory theory from an early stage of the negotiations, renouncing in exchange certain compensations under the pact of London. She demanded a mandate over German East Africa, which was practically granted, but the Council of Three withdrew on Monday when the Italians were absent. Correspondents at Paris state that the Allies' attitude on the Adriatic question indicates that it will be extremely hard for Italy to secure any compensations in Africa. PRESS REPRESENTATIVES. Yielding to strong pressure against the exclusion of the press at the handing over of the peace terms to the Germans, the Council of Three decided to provide seats for 25 Allied journalists, five German,-10 from the small States, and five from the dominions. Mr Lloyd George strenuously insisted on the inclusion of the dominions, who had done so much in the war. LABOUR CONFERENCE. The Organising Committee of the International Labour Conference established by the Peace Conference met for the "first time in London, there being seven representativs—one each from the six leading Entente Powers and one from Switzerland. The committee will collect and tabulate information for the conference to be held at Washington in October to discuss. The agenda includes an eight-hour day and a 48-hour week, unemployment, and women and child labour. MISCELLANEOUS. The Chinese delegates received instructions not to sign the Peace Treaty. Marshal Foch opposed signing peace on the ground that the military protection of France is inadequate. The New York Evening Post's correspondent at Washington states that President Wilson will probably return to the United States on May 25. The President has summoned Congress for May 19. The New York Times Paris correspondent says it is understood that the United States and Great Britain have decided not to wage discriminatory trade war against Germany. The other Allied Powers have determined to wage such a trade war. The New York World's Paris correspondent says the British delegates offered a plan for the disposition of Germany's merchant fleet under which each Allied country would retain the ships seized in its ports. Mr Lloyd George, at the instigation of the British dominions, now asks that the question be reopened because the British losses in merchantmen are greater than the number of German ships seized in all ports.