PEACE PROBLEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3455, 1 June 1920, Page 18

PEACE PROBLEMS.

(By Gable.)

TREATY WITH HUNGARY. PARIS, May 23. Hungary will sign peace next week at the Trianon Palace. ' . SECRET TREATIES. ROME, May 22. . Signor Tittoni (Italy), at a meeting of the Council of the League of Nations, said that all the States belonging to the league were registering secret treaties with the league, which regards as invalid all unregistered treaties. THE ARMENIAN FRONTIERS. WASHINGTON, May 22. Mr Colby (Secretary of State) has eonfirmed the report from Paris that President Wilson lias accepted the Allies' invitation to arbitrate on the Armenian fron tiers. / May 25. President Wilson has sent a special message to Congress urging that he be granted power to accept a mandate over Armenia. The message points out that the Senate recently passed a resolution reqneeting the President to send warships to Batum, and expressing sympathy with Armenia, whose independence the United States had already recognised. A careful canvass of members indicates that Congress will not grant President Wilson the necessary authority, on the ground that the cost and the responsibilities of the undertaking are too great at the present time. May 27. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee refused, by 11 Votes to 4, to accept the President's Armenian mandate proposal. GREEKS AND TURKS CLASH. ATHENS, May 22. Greek troops routed 400 Turks who were occupying a strong position in the Messo goda Pass, near the Meander River. The Turks' losses were heavy. THE REPARATIONS COMMISSIONPARIS, May _ 22. M. Dubois has succeeded M. Poincare as President of the Reparations Commission. May 29. The French Chamber of Deputies carried a vote of confidence in M. Millerand after his explanation on the Entente's indemnity policy. He denied that the Hyth'e Conference had fixed any definite sum. France's bill for reparations, compiled to date, equals 66 milliards of gold marks. France is not disposed to withdraw from the occupied areas, the Allies having admitted the principle of occupation. If Germany broke her engagements it would be scandalous if she (Germany) did not pay the debt to which she pledged herself at Versailles. She must pay for all losses inflicted. GERMANY'S PLIGHT. LONDON, May 25. Mr A. G. Gardiner, writing in the Daily News from Berlin, says that after interviews with leading German politicians and economists, he considers that if the Spa Conference does not stop international dissolution Germany will be a corpse which will poison the world. Her essential requirements are credits for food and raw materials, a limited indemnity, and some accommodation in the matter

of shipping. The present Government only possesses a shadow of power, but is the only combination that can keep the country on its feet. WHERE BRITAIN FAILS. LONDON, May 23. Lord Robert Cecil, in an article in the Standard, deplores the failure to utilise the League of Nations to prevent a renewal of war between Poland and Russia. He considers the talk about the powerlessness of the league is fantastic, and declares that if the Government, with the power of the Empire behind it, were in earnest in carrying out the Covenant, Britain could lead the world. THE SPA CONFERENCE LONDON, May 25. Sir James Allen, if he arrives in time, will represent New Zealand at the discussions on the agenda for the Spa Conference ; otherwise Lord Milner (Colonial Secretary) will represent New Zealand. The Imperial Cabinet has decided to discuss the agenda for the Spa Conference with the dominions' representatives, including Mr Watt, the Australian Commonwealth Treasurer. The Spa Conference is unlikely to consist of more than a council of four. The calling of the dominion representatives into consultation aims at the revival of the Empire Peace Delegation, in order to discuss the various matters, particularly financial, .which will come before the Spa Conference, and will thus fortify Mr Lloyd George on dominion views thereon. May 26. An Allied Note has been presented to the German Government suggesting the postponement of the Spa Conference to June 21, in view of the German elections. The Note emphasises the undesirability of the conference being distracted or delayed by external pre-oecupations, as would be the case if it were held at an earlier date. Germany has agreed to the postponement of the Spa Conference, which will take place on June 21. TURKISH PEACE TERMS. CONSTANTINOPLE, May 24. An important protest against the peace terms was made at Stamboul. The speeches were marked by a fiery fanaticism. Several speakers declared that the Allies are driving Turkey towards Soviet rule. Supporters of the Crescent were urged to resist domination by the Cross. ROME, May 29. The Cabinet has decided to insist on the postponement of the Spa Conference till July. GREECE AND TURKEY. LONDON, May 26. The Daily Express's Constantinople cor--respondent reports that a collision between the Greeks and Turks in Thrace is inevitable. While the Greeks are concentrating in the former Bulgarian portion of the province, their opponents, under regular officers, are mobilising. Two hundred and seventeen delegates to the National Congress at Adrianople signed a declaration that Thrace was essentially Moslem, and they would resist a Greek attempt to occupy it by force of arms. Numerous protests to the Allies are »being prepared. DEFENDING BRITAIN. NEW YORK, May 26. Sir Auckland Geddes, speaking at a Pilgrim Society's dinner, said that there was no evidence that Britain was trying to pool the Avar debts of Europe and to drag the United States into.- the pool. He stated that while more than 1000 ships, including four battle cruisers, were under construction in Britain at the time the armistice was signed', only the battleship Hood had been oompleted. He denied categorically the statements that Britain had commenced the construction of a pipe line from Bagdad or Mosul to Haifa, and that Britain was trying to monopolise the world's oil fuel supply. JAPANESE POLICY. NEW YORK, May 26. The Chicago News Tokio correspondent interviewed Baron Okuma, who declared that if Europe and America understood Japan's motives and gave her moral support, Japan would be ready to disarm in Siberia, and would try to improve the conditions and open the Continent to commerce. " But," he added, " if they are unable to reach an understanding, Japan will withdraw, leaving the world to face the consequences. It is thus necesary for Japan and Britain to do something to settle conditions in the Orient, and they would welcome the co-operation of the United States. The League of Nations, despite its possible defects, is a broad movement towards universal peace.'' INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CONVENED. LONDON, May 25. It is announced that an international conference has been convened by the League of Nations to meet before the end of the year to elaborate measures guaranteeing freedom of communications and transport between individual members of the league. It is covenanted that the conference will establish a permanent organisation of international communication for a combination of efforts _ by _ individual countries,, which organisation is essential for the re-establishment of the commercial exchanges and the economic restoration of the world. DELIVERY OF LOCOMOTIVES. BERLIN, May 25. Official: The delivery to the Entente of 5000 locomotives, in accordance with the Peace Treaty has been completed. THE REPARATIONS COMMISSION. PARIS, May 26. M. Clemenceau, in an interview, disclosed that the Peace Conference debated

the German indemnity closely for three weeks. The Anglo-Americans contended throughout for the payment of a lump sinn, of which Fk-aace should (receive £300,000,000. France demanded more, and resisted a hasty decision, hence the appointment of the Reparations Commission.

AMERICA AND FEACE. WASHINGTON, May 27. President Wilson has vetoed the Knox resolution, which means that there will be a struggle between President and Congress over the latter's decision to reach a separate peace with Germany. The President, in vetoing Senator Knox's peace resolution, bitterly condemned the regulation as casting an ineffaceable stain on the honour and gallantry of the United States.

May 28. _ President Wilson intends to make national honour the crux of his campaign in the fight for the League of Nations. He will propose to re-submit to the country • the Peace Treaty, as drafted, with certain suggestions for interpretative resolutions. Congress refused to override the veto of the Knox resolution. President Wilson, in .vetoing the resolution.. declared that the treaty embodied important things omitted by the resolution. In rejecting the treaty the United States declared in effect that she wished to draw apart and pursue only her own objects and interests. Such a peace with Germany as the resolution proposed ought to be inconceivable, as it was inconsistent with the dignity of the United States and with the rights and liberties of the citizens and the very fundamentals of civilisation. May 29. The House of Representatives failed by 29 votes to secure the necessary majority to override the President's veto on the Knox peace resolution. CANADA'S-WAR CLAIMS. OTTAWA, May 27. It is understood that Canada has formulated a war damages bill totalling 1,870,000,000 dollars, including: Cost of the war and of demobilisation, 1,715,000,000 dollars. Separation allowances, 85,000,000 dollars. Halifax explosion losses, 30,000,000 dollars. Army of occupation, 8,000,000 dollars. Illegal warfare, 31,500,000 dollars. This bill will be handed to the forthcoming, conference of Empire representatives and the inter-Allied conference" at Spa on June 21.

FIGHTING AGAINST HEAVY ODDS. CONSTANTINOPLE, May 28. The Armenians' plight is desperate. They are fighting Turks, Tartars, and Bolshevists. The Government has mobilised all males of the ages between 18 and 50, but the armies are insufficient and supplies of food are negligible. Starvation is certain unless the American Relief Committee helps. The British remain passive onlookers. Habil Pasha and Nure Pasha have been summoned to Moscow to consult the Central Soviet.

SUCCESS OF FRENCH COLUMN., PARIS, May 29.

Advices from Syria state that a French column has re-taken Aintab, inflicting heavy losses on the Turks.