SPA CONFERENCE

Timaru Herald, Issue 170268, 13 July 1920, Page 7

SPA CONFERENCE

: GERMANS GIVEN TIME TOR . 131 SAI'M AMENT. j on certai sfconditions. ■ By • Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, July 9. A Spa communique states: —At the opening of tho .Conference, Mr Lloyd George expressed the Allies' determination to secure the execution of the Treaty, which ihitherto- had been in-' ■adequate as regards the surrender and destruction of war material and the reduction, of effectives.. . lie indicated the extent to which' the ■ - Allies - had taken into account this observation? and difficulties of the new German Government, on whoso sincerity and intentions lie'did not wish to cast doubt. .He also pointed out that the. fresh postponement was only granted on certain 9 definite conditions, of which the. realisation would 'fte checked and guaranteed by precise sanctions: v The conditions are that Germany:. (a) Proceeds immediately to disarm the civil guard and military police. ■ (b) Publishes a proclamation demanding the immediate delivery of all arms held by the civil population, and cle- ■ creasing effective penalties in. case of contravention. If the Government's legal powers are insufficient for the purpose,: it shall immediately obtain such by legislation. (c) Immediately executes a, ; series of measures necessary for - the abolition of compulsory military service, and for the organisation of any army oil the basis of long term. ■ military service as provided by the Treaty. ■; (d) Delivers to the Allies for destructions and helps the Allies to destroy all arms find military material beyomt tho quantities .. authorised by ' the' Treaty. • (c) Assures the application of unexecuted aircraft and naval clauses. Then the Allies agree:— (1) To extend to Octobej- l, the period provided, lor the reduction' of the Reichpwher effectives, at which date be reduced to 150,030 men. The. Allies also agree to a, further postpone--mdnt. expiring on January 1 next; for the reduction of effectives to 100,000, when the exact composition of the organisation must bo completed according to the Treaty. (2) Aiithoribe the German Government to keep in the neutral zone until October 1, lor assisting in the. collection of arms, such number of effectives, as may be communicated Uy the Inter--Allied Military Commission of control. (3) Take all necessary measures to prevent contraband traffic in arms from occupied territories, intended fo r ' oilier parts of Germanv. :. If before January 2 next the Allied Control Commissions in Germany find tliat tho present arrangements arc not, being carried out loyally, tine-Allies will proceed to-..occupy more German territory, in either tho Ruhr or some other region, and will only evacuate it when the present conditions are wliollv fulfilled. .

OBJECTIONS FROM TWO STATES. Picceivcd 5.5 p.m., Julv ]2th BEIUJN, July 12. J.h« Governments of Bavaria and Wurtcmburg directly challenged tho Spa arrangements,! by telegraphing to Lerlm that undoc no conditions will they permit' the disarmament of the civil guard and the military police. COAL FOR FRANCE. LONDON, July 10. •--A Spa, communique sfcattes :—The Conference discusused the question of coal. Herr Bergrnann explained that thel shortage of" deliveries wag due .to- the illune floods and Germany's internal troubles, and strikes. ' •1,-M. Millerand, replying, pointed out ihat notwithstanding that the Bepaniypn § iComniission had reduced the ."con I ■tlomandetl from Germany from 38.000Qops>'to • 21;000,000 tons annually, Germany had delivered roughly at the ,-r.a.te of -only half tho latter amount. - Germany , on her o'Hrn';" ; authority had reduced deliveries by 10.000 tons daily under the pretext that an increased siipply had been given to J oland. Germany was actually in a more favourable situ'ation than Franco, being able to fulfil .70 per cent, of her. needs _against 59 . in the case of rain ;M. Millerand pointed out • very momenti when Germany was jailing to fulfil her obligations. fcne_ was making coal contracts with k- .vitzerland and Holland, against the protests of t'he ; Reparations Com'mission. M. Millerand read a note giving details of the Alliesi' proposed measures.

The Germans were given till rtliis morning to reply, and fieri* von Simons communicated the reply. . He deputed the legal right : of the Allies to impose the decision.. He r admitted that this <;? al . deliveries should not have been aumnishcd nor contracts' with oth'.r States concluded, in the absence of an agreement ivit.h the Reparations Commission but the failure of Germany to till her engagements was solely due ti> reasons of force majeure. He said F.®: c l"® s^on of the..production a nd 'dis tribution of coal could only be settled dj common investigation. reparations question. . SPA,, July IT. It ;s rumoured that the Allies are prepared ..to< make considera'sle/concessions m order to reach a settlement regarding reparations. M. Millerand'a conciliatory declaration that tho' Allies were not anxious to insist on thei r full hteralrightg impressed the ; Germ ;i 11 allegation, and created optimistic: iiopes of a settlement. It ig understood that Germany's proposals, which will bo handed to the Allies to-night, will ask: (1) That &p?m xIT? 1 Payments should bp. fixed: V , ? total indemnity should be definitely fixed; (3) that Germany should be allowed to pay with coal and materials for the reconstruction of the devastated areas; (4) that ,nrr an Yemenis should be made wherebv Co msinys creditors shall be paii -pro. porcionateiy to tho annual progress of improvements in Germany.

AN INSOLENT DELEGATE. ITcrren Felirenbach and Simons apologised to the Secretary of the Conlerencc. for Herr Stiliners' insolent outburst-, and declared tha.t had . they linoun his intention thej would not have permitted him to speak. OTHER SUBJECTS. George hag caiight a slight chill, ,and ; Lord Curzon took his place at >,his morning's Conference, rr , "? r <-' han ges were made in the which; will ba presented to tho Turks on July 17. • Signa•"lf: IVl 'l b e required within ten da vs. Ino ,Conference decided to place the transport arrangements at • Dantzi" under a. Joint, Commission of Poles. Lts chairman will be selected hv and it-present the League of, Nations: AMERICAN CRITICS. * HAVE NO STANDING. rn >'„ NiUV YORK, .July 0. : . , JJle . suns -correspondent. at Spa interviewed Mr Lloyd George while walking in the garden. The correspondent asked whether Minister did not tluuk tlie American people would believe that the. Allies were giving. way considerably befora tlie- Germans.

Lloyd George answered- "Perhaps they will talk that way. in America,.?mt I want you to tell the Americans this for me: If the Ajuerirar.s were here with u« things mighl be entirely different. But they have left us. They are out of it. They, are

not giving us any help to solve these problems. They would have some right to talk if they were." ' GERMANS ALSO MAKE CLAIMS,. Received 9.5 p.m., July 12th. • LONDON a July 12. A Spa- dispatch says that it is expected; that the Germans will demand a .reduction of the* Allied armies of opcupation and also a share of the colonial ■ BERLIN PRESS' ANGRST. BERLIN, July 11. The signing of the protocol cruised "the . greatest storm in German newspapers since the armistice. Tlie Allies are described as dictators, revolver in hand, determined to reduce Germany to subjugation and rob her of her independence. The papers declare that the German delegates were received'like* envoys from a'negro .tribe under threat of punishment 'Ser.iuse the tribute to the slnve holder had not j been paid promptly^