AUSTRIAN PEACE TREATY.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11850, 5 June 1919, Page 2

AUSTRIAN PEACE TREATY.

NAVAL AND MILITARY RESTRICTIONS. RACIAL. LINGUAL AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES PROTECTED. Per Press Aaociation. Wellington, June 2. The term of the Austrian Peace Treaty were released at 10 o clock this evening. The conditions of peace ot the Allied and associated with the exception of the military, ations, financial and certain boundary clauses, were handed to the Austrian plenipotentiary at St. Germain yesterday. Those clauses which are not yet ready for presentation will be delivered as .. soon ,as possible, the Austrians in the meanwhile having the opportunity to begin work on the greater part of the treaty in the effort to facilitate a final decision. The Austrian treaty follows exactly the same outlines as the German, and, in many places is , identical with it, except for the change in name. Certain specific clauses which applied only to Germany are of course omitted and certain new clauses of particular applicability to Austria are included, especially as regards the new States created out of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria is left by the treaty a State of about six million people inhabiting a territory of between 50,000 and 60,000 square miles. Austria recognises the complete independence of Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the Serbo-Oroat-Slo-veue State, and cedes other territories which, previously in union with her composed the Empire of Austria-Hungary. Austria agrees to accept the League of Nations covenant and the Labour charter; to renounce all extra-European rghts, to demobilise her whole naval and aerial force, to admit the right of trial by the Allied and associated Powers of her nationals guilty of the violation of the laws and customs of war, and to accept detailed provisions similar to those in the German treaty as to economic relations .and freedom of transit. In the following summary Part I, containing the covenan of the League of Nations, and Part XII containing the Labour Convention, are identical with those in the German treaty and are therefore omitted. Part VI, dealing with prisoners of war and graves, and X, with aerial navigation are identical, with the substitution of Austria and Austrian for Germany and German, and are also omitted. Similarly, Part XIII of the German treaty, containing guarantees or execution is not included in'the Austrian treaty, te* ' PART TWO. OF AUSTRIIA. The* Northern frontier, facing Czecho-Slovaka, follows the exist-, ing administrative boundaries formerly separating the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia from of Upper and Lower Austria, subject to certain minor recitication notably in the region of Gmud and Feldsberg and along the river Moravia. The southern frontier facing Italy is to follow the watershed between the Inn and the Drive on the north and the Lombardy rivers on the south, passing the Col Du Brenner and including Setetten Valley in Italy. That facing and the Cerbo-Oroat-Solvene State is to be fixed by the principal Allied and associated Powers at a later date. In the part the line passing just east of Blieberg crosses the Drave just above its confluence with the Lavani and thence will pass north of the Drave, so as to leave to the Serbo-Croat-iSlovene State Marburg and Radkersburg, just to the north of which latter place it will join the Hungarian frontier. The western and northwestern frontier facing Switzerland, and the eastern frontier facing Hungary remain unchanged.

PAKT THREE. POLITICAL CLAUSES—EUROPE. The high contracting parties recognise and accept the frontier of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Roumania, the Serbo-Oroat-Sloveue State and *the Czechoslovak State as at present, or as ultimately determined. Austria renounces in favour of tho principal and Allied and associated Powers all her rights and title over territories formerly belonging to her which, though outside the new frontier of Austria, have not at present been assigned to any State, undertaking to accept the settlement to be made in regard to the territories. THE CZECHOSLOVAK STATE. Austria recognises the complete independence of the Czceho-Slovak State, including the autonomous territory south of the Carpathians in conformity with tho action already taken by the Allied and associated Powers. The exact boundary between Austria and the new State is to be fixed by a field of seven members, five nominated 'by 1 the principal Allied and associated Powers and one each by Austria and Czecho-Slovakia. Czecho-Slovakia agrees to embody in a treaty with the principal Allied and associated Power, such provisions as may be deemed necessary to protect racial, religious or linguistic minorities, aud to assure freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of other nations. THE SERB-OROAT-SLOVENE STATE. Austria similarly recognises the complete independence of the Serb-Oroat-Sloveue State and renounces her right and titles. A similarly appointed field commission, including a member nominated by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, is to fix the exact boundary. The question of the basin of Klagenfurt is reserved. The Serb-Croat-Slovene State agrees to a similar treaty for the protection of minorities and freedom of transit. ROUMANIA. Roumania agrees to a similar treaty for the protection of minorities and freedom outruns it, RUSSIA. Austria is to recognise and'respect tire full independence of all the territories which formed part of the fanieer Russian Empire. She is to »cc*pt definitely the annulment of

t'he Brest-Litovsk treaty and of all treaties or agreement of all kinds concluded since the revolution of November, 19i7, with all Governments of political groups on the territory of the-former Russian Empire. The Allies reserve all right on the part of Russia for restitution and satisfaction to be obtained from Austria on the principles of the present treaty. GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS. Austria is to consent to the abro which' Belgium was established as a neutral State and her frontiers fixed and to accept in advance any convention with which the (Allies may determine to replace them. Austria adheres to the abrogation of the neutrality of the Grand Duchy_ of Luxembourg and accepts in vance, ail international agreements as to it reached by the Allied and associated Powers. Austrian nationals belonging to racial, religious, or linguistic are to enjoy the protection as other Austrian nationals, in particular with regard to schools and other educational establishments, and in districts where a considerable proportion of Austrian'nationals, of other than German speech, are resident, facilities are to be given in school for the instruction of children in language, and an equitable of public funds is to bo provided "for the purpose,. These provisions do not preclude the Austrian Government from making the teaching of German obligatory. They are to be embodied by Austria in her fundamental law as a bill of rights and provision regarding them are to be under the protection of "the League of Nations. PART FOUR. AUSTRIAN RIGHTS OUTSIDE EUROPE. Outside Europe Austria renounces all rights, titles and privileges as to her own or her allies’ territories all 'the Allied and associated Powers, and undertakes to accept whatever measures are taken by the principal Allied Power in relation thereto. Austria accepts all arrangements which the Allied and associated Powers made with Turkey and Bulgaria with reference to any rights, privileges, or interests claimed in those countries by Austria or her nationals, accepts all arrangements which the Allies and associted Powers make with Germany concerning the territories whose abandonment was imposed upon Denmark by the treaty of 1864. PROTECTION OF MINORITIES. In a series of special clauses Austra undertakes to bring her institutions into conformity with the prnciples of liberty and justice, and acknowledges that the obligation for the protection of minorities are matters of international concern over which the League of Nations has jurisdiction. She assures complete protection of life and liberty to all inhabitants of Austria without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race or religion, together with the right to the free exercise of any creed. All Austrian nationals, without distinction of race, language or religion, are to be equal before the law. No restrictionsare to be imposed on the free use of any language in private or public, and reasonable facilities are to be given to Austrian nationals of nonGerman speech tor the use of their language before the courts. The clauses as to Egypt, Morocco, China, and Siam are identical after the necessary modifications with those of the German treaty, except that, especially in the case of China, there is no need for so great detail. PART FIVE. MILITARY, NAYAL, AND AIR GLAUSES. The military clauses are reserved. Naval. All Austro - Hungarian warships, submarines and vessels of the Danube flotilla are declared to be finally surrendered to the principle Allied and associated Powers. Twenty-one specified auxiliary cruisers are to be disarmed and treated as merchant ships. All warships and submarines under construction in ports which belong or have belonged to Austria-Hungary shall be broken up, the salvage not to be used except for industrial purposes, and not to be sold to foreign countries. ' The construction or acquisition of any submarines even for commercial purposes is forbidden. All naval arms, ammunition and “other war material belonging to Austro-Hun-gary at the date of the armistice shall be surrendered to the Allies. The Austrian wireless station at Vienna is not to be used for naval, military or political messages relating to Austria or the late allies without the assent of.;the Allied and associated Governments during three months, but only for commercial purposes under supervision.' During the same period Austria is not to build any more high power wireless stations. Air Clauses —The air clauses are practically the same as in the German Treaty, except for the 100 seaplanes and their personnel which Germany is allowed to retain till October to search for mines. GENERAL. Austria agrees not to accredit or send any military, naval or air mission to any foreign country, nor to allow Austrian nationals to enlist in the army, navy or air service of any foreign Power. Part seven on penalties :is identical with the German treaty, except the omission of any provision similar to that calling for the trial of the ex-Kaiser of Germany. Part eight on reparations is reserved. Part nine.—The financial clauses are reserved. Part ten.—Economic clauses are, except in certain details, such as shipping, similar to those of the German treaty. Spscial ’provisions are added, however, for former Austro-Hungarian nationals acquiring an allied nationality similar to those in the German treaty relating to the of Alsace-Lor-raine. The contracts are maintained subject to cancellation by the Governments. Austria undertakes to recognise any agreement or convention made by the Allies to safeguard the interests of their nationals | in any undertakings constituted under Austro Hungarian law which operate in territories detached from the former Austrian Empire and to transfer any necessary documents and information in regard to them PART TEN. FREEDOM OF TRANSIT. The clauses as to freedom of transit are the same in the Austrian as in tno German treaty eat«*pt for the

omission of the provisions affecting Germany alone, and the insertion of specific clauses granting Austria transit privileges through former Austro-Hungarian territory in order to assure her access to the Adriatic. Part fourteen. —Miscellaneous provisions, are, after necessary substitutions, virtually identical with those of the German treaty. The treaty is to come into force when signed by Austria and three principal Powers, and to he effective fox the individual States on the deposit of their specific ratifications.