PEACE TREATIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 15

PEACE TREATIES.

(By Gable.) THE SUPREME COUNCIL. LONDON, February 25. # The Supreme Council considered President Wilson's reply regarding the Adriatic. The council agreed not to announce its provisional resolutions in reference to the Turkish Peace Treaty until it is able to publish the complete terms of the settlement. .February 28. Official: The Peace Conference discussed the reported massacres of Ar- • menians in Cicilia, and measures will be taken to deal immediately with the situation. ... " March 1. Th%. Supremo Council this morning took provincial decisions on questions of principle relating to the naval and financial terms of the Turkish Treaty. March 3. The Supreme Council considered the future of Bessarabia, after which it gave attention to the Hungarian observations on the Peace Treaty. The council then examined the draft resolutions regarding the high prices and foreign exchanges. The conference proper then ended, but a conference of Foreign Ministers will continue to sit at the Foreign Office to finally settle the terms of -the Turkish Treaty, which-it is hoped may be completed and presented to the Turks at Par's on March 22. FATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. CONSTANTINOPLE, February 27. The French and Italian High Commissioners and Admiral de Robeck (British) have informed the Porte of the Peace Conference decision regarding Constantinople. They warned the Porte of the consequences of further misrule. Allied circles believe that this will dispel all doubts as to the Allies being in accord, and will further impress the Turk. WASHINGTON, March 3. Senator King, in the Senate, introduced a resolution in favour of the expulsion of the Turks from Constantinople. LONDON, March 6. A meeting of the Council of the League of Nations Union passed a resolution in favour of the government of Constantinople and the Straits coming under the control of the League of Nations. SEMI-OFFICIAL DRAFT OF TREATY. LONDON, March 2. -A semi-official draft of the Turkish Treaty forbids a Turkish navy in future, allowing only a few revenue cutters. The Turkish Empire under the Ottoman Government is to contain a population of 6,000,000 subjects compared with t 50,000,000 before the war. It is understood that the Empire will be confined to Constantinople and Anatolia. The financial conditions of the treaty are practically completed. A SPEEDY BACK-DOWN. LONDON, March 4. The Turks recently threatened to prevent the Allies moving troops from Ismid, 55 miles east of 'Constantinople, but they immediately gave way on the arrival of British cruisers and troops and on recei\r-, ' ing a warning that force would be used unless the Allied orders were immediately complied with. French troops have reoccupied Marash. The Nationalists in Cicilia are endeavouring to stir up armed risings against the French. * FALL OF THE TURKISH CABINET. t LONDON, March 5. f The fall of the Turkish Cabinet and the / calling on of Izett Pasha to form a Cabi- • net has aggravated the seriousness of the \ Turkish crisis. Meanwhile, it may be taken for granted that if official reports ' from Turkey confirm the accounts of the Armenian massacres, Allied forces will be despatched immediately. It is stated, moreover, that the Armenians will be provided with arms, while, as regards future safeguards, it is noteworthy that a proposal is now being considered that in future Turkish gendarmes be officered by the Allies. Influential Europeans in Constantinople have informed the British Government that Turkey will not accept the drafted treaty, and the temper of the Nationalists is stiffening, owing to the decision to leave the Turks at Constantinople. CONSTANTINOPLE, March 6. Marshal Izzet is a strong supporter of the Nationalist Party. His appointment is therefore significant at the present juncture ; but he must not Be confused with the notorious Izzet who was Abdul Hamid's Minister of Police, and the chief instrument of'his tortuous policy. ijj MASSACRE OF ARMENIANS. •p* LONDON, February 28. An Armenian society at Constantinople has telegraphed to the Peace Conference that the French have evacuated Marasn. Three thousand Armenians were massacred while attempting to escape, and only 150 reached Islana, great numbers being frozen to death during the flight. Twenty thousand Armenians remained at Marash, of whom 16,000 were massacred. The Times Constantinople correspondent reports that the Armenian relief workers, the lady missionaries, and the French wounded escaped from Marash. The Turkish Nationalists rnassacred numerous convoys of fleeing Armenians. WASHINGTON, March 1. The Department learns that the Turks in Cicilia have cut the railroad beyond Adana, massacred 5000 Armenians, and fought a pitched battle with the French, whom they drove back at Marash. * PARIS, March 1. Although tbo French occupy Cicilia, the

Government has not received confirmation of the massacres.

QUESTION IN THE BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS. LONDON, March 4. " Replying to Sir Donald Maclean in the House of Commons in regard to the Armenian massacres, Mr Lloyd George stated that the matter was being discussed by the Allies and between the Government and the British representative at Constantinople. A detailed statement at present was inadvisable. Mr Asquith urged that full information, as far as possible, be given, in order to relieve grave general anxiety. The Prime Minister replied that this anxiety was fully shared by-the. Government and ail representatives of the Allies. Since it had received very serious news of the massacres, the Allied Conference had very anxiously considered the matter, and had come to a decision, which would be communicated to the Allied representatives at Constantinople. It was inadvisable at present to publish the character-of the decision, which depended on advice, received, but the Government was fully alive to the gravity of the position and the need for taking very strong action to protect minorities as far as possible. ALLEGED WAR CRIMINALS. -0 LONDON, February 26. The Daily Telegraph states that the idea of banishing the ex-Kaiser to a remote island has been abandoned. Holland is now considering removing him to a spot further from the frontier. THE HAGUE, March 5. Holland has refused for a second time to agree to the exlKaiser's extradition. February 27. Berlin telegrams report that at a meeting of German generals and admirals it was decided to refuse to surrender themselves to any foreign Power as being incompatible with a soldier's honour. Only German judges could enjoy their confidence. They asked for the early assembly of'the German Court at Leipzig to give them an opportunity of guarding Germany's honour. Ludendorff, Falkenhayn, von Kluck, and Tirpitz were among the signatories to the above decisions. ALLIES' TEST CASES. PARIS, March 1. It is authoritatively stated that the Allies have agreed that the German court of justice shall be permitted to try a number of selected war criminals as test cases. It was decided to furnish Germany with 1 list of 46 names, Britain choosing seven, France 12, Belgium 15, Italy four, and Poland and Rumania the remaining eight. Britain's list mostly concerns submarine atrocities. The case's: chosen are plain and straightforward, wherein the accused persons are obviously guilty of the vilest violation of the laws governing warfare. If the test cases are properly carried out it probable that the Allied lists comprising 800 criminals will be drastically reduced. The Allies' legal representative will attend the trials to ensure that there is no favouritism and that all evidence is produced. LONDON, March 3. In the House of Commons Mr Frederick Hall asked if the German Government did not punish the war criminals would the British Government take steps to see that the terms of the Peace Treaty were carried out? Mr Bonar Law replied that the Allies reserved all rights under the Treaty, but he thought it would be a great mistake to assume that the German Government was not ready to give a real trial. In the House of Commons Mr Lloyd George stated that the Government was not sending Crown Law officers to the trial of the war prisoners. We had promised to give the German courts an opportunity to see justice done, but we had not in the least abandoned our rights, and we would watch the proceedings most carefully. AMERICA AND THE TREATY. WASHINGTON, February 27. The United States Senate, with practical unanimity, reaffirmed the Republican reservations to the Peace Treaty respecting the mandates under the league. . The Government supporters withdrew their opposition to the Adriatic correspondence being published. It shows that President Wilson opposes the Anglo-French assent, to Italy's claim to Fiume and Albania. He considered that the proposed corridor connecting Fiume with Italy would be impracticable, and that the cession of Fiume to Italy would produce future wars. As regards the application of the Pact of London, President Wilson holds that that is a question for Britain and France to decide, according to obligation and policy. March 3. The Senate rejected by 43 votes to 34 the Democrats' substitute for the Republican definition of Monroeism. This reservation was not changed from the last session. Senator Lodge pointed out that the British Delegation at the Peace Conference held that Monroeism in the future would be interpreted by the League of NaLions, not by the United States. Senator Hitchcock's resolution replacing the Republican reservation safeguarding American rights in domestic issues was defeated, by 44 to 36. The adoption _ of the Republican reservation safeguarding American rights is forecasted. The Senate adopted the original Lodge reservation by which the United States reserves to itself the right to decide what domestic questions are not subject to the League of Nations' jurisdiction. March 4. Senator Lodge's motion altering the Shantung reservation and omitting direct references to Japan and China, was carried by 69 votes to 32. Senator Lodge pointed out that the effect of the reservation had not been changed. Senator Hitchcock's substitute for the Shantung reservation was rejected. A later modification was

adopted and ..mutual agreement reached at a party conference. THE SHANTUNG QUESTION. NEW YORK, March 4. • Mr Side Hara, the new Japanese Ambassador to the United States, in a speech before the Japan Society, said; "The Shantung question can never be a source of difficulties between the United States and Japan. We have enough commonsense and clear vision to perceive the sheer madness of any attempt at aggression or economic monopolisation in China." MONROE DOCTRINE. WASHINGTON, March 3. Senator Lodge passionately defended the Monroe Doctrine, the meaning-whereof the United States must be the sole judge. "We must tell the'world," he said, "we will always stand behind the Monroe Doctrine. No international tribunal should even be permitted to question our authority upon it." Senator Hitchcock's substitute reservation, which Was acceptable to President Wilson, was defeated. THE ADRIATIC TANGLE. WASHINGTON, February 28. Senator Kelly, speaking in the Senate, made a hot attack on President Wilson for his interference in the Adriatic settlement. He declared that the United States was not qualified to dictate in a matter to which she was (? not) a party. March 2. The State Department has published the Jugo-Slav reply to the Anglo-French Memorandum of January 14. The Jugoslavs accept in principle the independence of Fiume, but demand that Caross be given to Jugo-Slavia. The reply points out that further annexation of territory would be a flagrant violation of the principle of nationalisation and would create a hotbed.of irredentism. Jugo-Slavia does not insist that Zara be placed under Jugoslavia's sovereignty, but cannot admit that Fiume and Zara have a right to use their diplomatic representatives, pointing ' out that if the choice lay with Italy it would amount to annexation. Regarding Albania, the Jugo-Slavs say that the. best solution would be to confine the administration to a local autonomous Government without interference by foreig"n Powers. March 2. President Wilson's reply to the AngloFrench Note regarding the Adriatic questions was despatched to-night. THE BERMUDAS. NEW YORK, March 1. Senator Kenyon proposed in the Senate that the United States acquire the Ber mudas, in partial liquidation of the British war debt. "AN UN-ENGLISH TREATY." LONDON, February 29. General Hubert Gough, in an interview, said: " The English people have not yet begun to realise that the Peace Treaty is thoroughly un-English, and is equivalent to hitting a man when he is down.' We do not want revenge: we want friendliness and a League of Nations in which Germany, Austria, "and Soviet Russia can find a place." MILITANT FRENCH CAPTAINS. PARIS, March 1. French seagoing captains handed an address to Cabinet expressing disgust at the Supreme Council's decision regarding German vessels captured at French ports, which must be handed over and pooled. They definitely declare that they will not give them up. On the other hand, the French able seamen agreed among themselves to sink the whole lot rather than give them up.