AUSTRIAN PEACE TREATY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15834, 3 June 1919, Page 2

AUSTRIAN PEACE TREATY.

NEW STATE TO COMPRISE 6.000.000. ONLY SHADOW OP GREATNESS LEFT, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON,- June 1. > The conditions of peace of the Allies and associated Powers, with the exception of the military, reparation, financial, and certain boundary clauses, were handed to the Austrian plenipotentiaries at St. Germain on June Ist. Those clauses which are not yet ready for,, presentation will be delivered as soon as possible, the Austrians in the meanwhile having an opportunity to begin work on the greater part of the Treaty, in an effort to facilitate a final decision. The Austrian Treaty follows exactly £he same outline 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, TchechoSlovakia, and the Serbo-Croat-Slo-vene 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 her extra-European rights to demobilise her whole naval and aerial forces; to admit the right of trial by Allied and Associated Powers of her nationals guilty of the violation of laws and customs of war, and to accept detailed provisions similar to those in the German Treaty as to her economic relations and freedom of transit. In the following summary. Part One, containing the covenant of the League of Nations, and Part Twelve, containing the Labour Convention, are identical with those in the German Treaty, and are therefore omitted. Part Six, dealing with prisoners of war and graves, and Part Ten, with aerial navigation, are identical with the substitution of Austria and Austrian for Germany and German, and are also omitted. Similarly Part Thirteen of the German Treaty, containing guarantees for execution, •is not included in the Austrian Treaty. PART TWO—THE FRONTIERS OF AUSTRIA. The northern frontier, facing checho-Slovakia, follows the existing administrative boundaries formerly separating the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia from those of Upper and Lower Austria, subject to certain minor rectifications notably in the region of Good and Feldsberg, and along The river Moravia. The southern frontier facing Italy is to

bp fixed by* the principal Allied and Associated Powers at a later date. In the eastern part, the line passing just, east of Blicburg crosses the Brave just above its confluence with the Levant, and thence will pass north of the Brave so as to leave to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State Marburg- and Radkersburg, just to the north of which latter place it will join the Hungarian frontier. The western end north-western frontier facing Switzerland, and the eastern frontier facing Hungary, remain unchanged. PART THREE—POLITICAL CLAUSES. The high contracting parties recognise and accept the frontiers of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Roumania, the Sorb-Croat-Slovene State and the Tchecho-Siovak State, as at present nr as ultimately determined. Austria renounces in favour of ihc principal Allied and Associated Powers all her rights and titles over the territories formerly belonging to her which, though outside the new frontiers of Austria, have not at present befin assigned to any State undertaking to accept the settlement to be made in regard to these territories. THE TCKECHO-SLOVAK STATE. Austria- recognises the complete independence of the Ichecho-Slovak State, including the autonomous territory south of the Carpathians, in conformity with the action already taken by' the Allied and Associated Powers. The exact boundary between Austria and the now State is to be fixed by a field commission of seven members, five nominated by the principal Allied and Associated Powers and one each by Austria and Tchecho-Slovakia. Tchecho-Slovakia agrees to embody in a treaty with the principal Allied and Associated Powers such provisions as may be deemed necessary to protect racial, religious, or linguistic minorities, and to assure freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the cmmerce of other nations. THE SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE. Austria similarly recognises the complete independence of the Serb-Croat-Slovenc State, and renounces her rights and titles. _ A similarly appointed field commission, including a member nominated by the Serb-Oroat-Slevnoe 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. ROTTMAKIA. Roumania agrees to a similar' treaty for the protection of minorities and freedom of transit. RUSSIA. Austria is to recognise and respect the full independence of all the territories which formed part of the former Russian Empire. She is to accept de-

flhitely the annulment of the BrestLitovek Treaty and' of all treaties and agreements of all kinds concluded since the revolution of November, 1917, with all Governments of political groups on territory of the former Russian Empire. The Allies reserve all. rights 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 abrogation of the treaties of 1839, by which Belgium was established as a neutral State and her frontiers fixed, and to accept in advance any convention with whicn the Allies may determine to replace them. Austria adheres to the abrogation of the neutrality of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, and accepts in advance all international agreements as to it reached by the Allied and Associated Powers. Austrian nationals belonging to racial, religions, or linguistic minorities are to enjoy the same protection as other Austrian nationals of other than German speech are resident facilities are to be given in schools for the instruction of children in their own* language, and an equitable share of public .funds is to be 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 the provisions 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 to all the Allied and associated Powers, and undertakes to accept whatever measures are taken by the principal Allied Powers 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 and not dealt with elsewhere. Austria accepts all arrangements which the Allied and associated Powers make with Germany concerning the territories whose abandonment imposed upon Denmark by the Treaty of 1864. i PROTECTION OF MINORITIES. In a scries of special clauses, Austria undertakes to bring her institutions in conformity with the principles of liberty unci justice, and acknowledges that the obligations for the protection of minorities 0 are matters of International concern over which the League of Nations has jurisdiction. She assures complete piotecton of the life and liberty to all inhabitants of Austria without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race or religion, together with the right to free exercise of any creed All Austrian nationals, without distinction of race, language or religion, are to bo equal before the law. No restrictions are 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 non-German speech for thj 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 not need for so great detail. PART 5 —MIT AT A RE, NATAL, AND AIR CLAUSES. The military clauses are reserved. Naval.—AH the Austro-Hungarians' warships, submarines and vessels of the Danube flotilla are declared to be finally

surrendered to the principal 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. AH naval inns, ammunition and other war material belonging to Austria-Hun-gary at the date of the armistice, shall Is? 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 her late Allies, without the assent of the Allied and associated Governments during three months, hut only for commercial purposes under supervision. During the 'same period Austria is not te build any more iiigh-powcr wireless stations. AID 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 until October to search for mines. GENERAL. Austria agrees not to accredit or send ary 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 7.—ON PENALTIES. This 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 B.—ON REPARATIONS. This is reserved. PART 9, —FINANCIAL CLAUSES. These are reserved. PART 10.—ECONOMIC CLAUSES. These are, except in certain details, such as shipping, simitar to those of the German treaty. Special provisions are added, however, for former AustroHungarian nationals acquiring an Allied nationality similar to those in the German treaty relating to the inhabitants of Alsace-Lorraine. 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-Hun-garian law, which operate in territories detached from the former Austrian Empire, and to transfer any necessary documents and information in regard .to them. PART 10.—FREEDOM OF TRANSIT. The clauses as to freedom of transit are the same in the Austrian as in the German Treaty, except for the omission of the provisions affecting Germany aione, 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 14.—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. These are, after necessary substitutions, virtually identical with those of the German Treaty. The Treaty is to oome into force when signed by Austria and the three principal Powers, and to he effective for the individual States on the deposit of their specific ratifications.