THE PEACE TERMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 155, 26 March 1919, Page 7

THE PEACE TERMS

DRAFT PUBLISHED HOW THE ENEMY'S WINGS WERE CLIPPED DISPUTE OVER NAURU ISLAND ' By Telegraph-Press Association- Coovrieht Paris, March 1!*. The military, naval, nm! aerial terms, as finally adopted, provide:— Within two months of the signature of the treaty the German military forces will bo demobilised to the extent prescribed. The total effectives iu. st never exceed 100,000, including 1000 oflicers, and the troops in the depots, ino army must be exclusively devoted to the maintenance of order within Germany and tho control of her frontiers. No Army Staff will be permitted, and tho General Staff must be dissolved and not reconstituted in any form. Officer; and person'; in the position of oflicers; m the War Department and the ■ Ministries must not exceed three hundred, and the personnel of the civilian army ndministraiion must not exceed one-tenth ot that prescribed in the 1013 Budget. _ Munitions must be stored at points notified to the Allies. The German Government is forbidden to establish ony other stocks, depots, or reserves of ammunition. The maximum stores allowed for such guns and forts as Germany n allowed to retain will be 2500 rounds for each gun of 10.5 centimetres (four inches) and less than 500 rounds for heavier guns. , . The manufacture of war material n.nst be restricted to factories, nqtifieil tr. the Allies, and 'all other war factories, arsem.k and depots must, b| closed, and their personnel dismissed within two months of the signature. Superfluous munitions and war plants are to be surrendered to the Allies, for destruction. Alt material and guns of non-German origin must also be surrendered. The importation and exportation of war material is prohibited. ,irm the use of asphyxiating and poisonous gases and analogous liquids and devices and of armoured cars is prohibited, and also their manufacture and exportation. Within three months of the signature, fortified works within fifty miles of tho Rhine must bo dismantled, and the construction of new fortifications in this zone strictly forbidden. Fortified works on the southern and eastern frontiers mav be maintained in their existing state. This clause is designated to roteguard Germany against a possible Bolshevik invasion. Tables set out the numbers allowed for each establishment. Corps staffs arc restricted to thirty officers and 150 men each; and divisional headquarters to 25 officers and 70 men. Tho total of a division is to bo 110 officers and 10.730 men, and of a cavalry division 275 officers and 5250 men. The total nurobei cf -lfles allowed is 81,000 carbines, 18,00* (r) heavy machine-guns. 702 light machineguns'. 1134 trench mortars, 252 field guns, and 168 howitzers, with 8100 rounds of ammunition for each rifle, 8000 for each machine-gun, 1000 for each field gun, and 800 for each howitzer.'

German Navy. All submarines, salvage vessels, and docks, aud the Kiel tubular dock, are to bo handed to tho Allies, and their ultimate fate is reserved. Materials gained from the breaking up of warships must bo used for commercial purposes, and not exported. The construction of new warships is forbidden oxcept for replacements, and these must not exceed 10,000 tons for armoured cruisers and GOOO tons for cruisers. Units must be replaced only every twenty years. The, acquisition of submarines is forbidden.

Only the fixed scale of munitions is tr. be permitted on board warships or in store. Germany must sweep specified areas, and keep them free from mines. Tho naval personnel must be recruited voluntarily for a minimum period of twenty-five years for officers and of twelve years for men, and the discharged personnel must nut receive military or naval training. Mercantile officers and men arc not permitted lo undergo naval training in any shape.

The fortifications and establishments of Heligoland must be destroyed at German expense, with German labour.

At President Wilson's suggestion, and for humanitarian reasons, the question of tho destruction of Heligoland harbour is reserved, in view of the needs of fisherEion.

After two months the German warships in commission shall not exceed six battleships, six light cruisers, twelve destroyers, and twelve torpedo boats, or an Dirndl number constructed to replace them. No submarines are permitted, and all ether warships must be placed in reserve or devoted to commerce. The total personnel of the naval forces must not exceed 15.000, with not more than 1500 officers.

All German warships not in German ports will ceaso to be German property. Germany must undertako the destruction of all warships now under construction, and auxiliary cruisers and fleet auxiliaries must be disarmed and converted into merchantmen.

Certain coastal works are to be de-' strayed, and • fortifications interfering with the free passage' of the Baltic are forbidden. Tlio Kiel Canal must bo dismantled,, and its fate, is Teserved. "Wireless telegraphic stations must bo strictly restricted to commercial pup poses. No Fighting Air Service. The air clauses provide, that Germany's (timed forces mint not include any air forces, aeroplanes, dirigibles, except a lew hydroplanes to be used in connection with mine-sweeping. Within two months the air personnel must be reduced to a thousand oTiieers and men, including all flying and non-flying formations. No aerodrome is to be maintained within 1511 kilometres (91 miles) of the Rhine or the eastern or southern frontiers, and the sheds now there must bo dismantled and the ground ploughed. The manufacture of aeroplanes and'dirigibles is forbidden until the final treaty is signed, and all existing material must be handed over to the Allies.

The remaining clauses provide for Hie inter-Allied Commissions to be charged with carrying out the terms, which is to be done at Germany's expense.

THE LEAGUEW NATIONS | INCORPORATION IN THE I PEACE TREATY London, March 18. Tho Exchange Telegraph Agency's correspondent at-Paris states that; the preliminary peace terms will embody not merely the principle of the League of Nations, but the actual covenant. Thus the League will be an accomplished fact in tho next few weeks unless the Germans refuse to sign the preliminaries. It was found.impossible to settle certain questions affecting Germany without referring to principles embodied in tho League, and it is therefore neesesary to include tho League covenant in order to obtain Germany's signature. The Conference has devoted considerable attention to the subject of the Kiel Canal and Germany's submarine telegraph cables. President Wilson favours internationalising the canal on tho same lines as tho Suez Canal, and it is understood that Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. A. J. Balfour concur. Tne proposal to I distribute Germany's cables among the Allies finds most support.

The "Manchester Guardian" stales that tile consensus of opinion ;n British ollicial quarters is that there will bo threo preliminary treaties. The first will deal with naval and military matters, the second with territorial affairs, and the third with reparation and indemnities. The first treaty will soon bo ready for signature. The third is proving the most difficult, and will probably not bo completed before June, when the first meeting of delegates of the Plenary Conference will be held, probably at Brussels. It is expected that the blockade of Germany will bo finally lifted in June. Tho Allied statesmen will leave Paris after the preliminary treaties are signed, leaving the diDlomatlc officials to work

out the details for tho final : eace, which will Ijb completed towards the end of tho year.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GROWING IMPATIENCE OVER DELAYS QUESTION OF INDEMNITIES. London, March 2j. There is a growing chorus of criticism of the so-called dilatorincss of the Peace Conference.' Many of the newspapers complain of the delays during last week. It is asserted that the revolution in Hungary proves the need for expediting peace. The question of indemnities will ha formally raised in the House of Com : mens this week, because a section of tho Unionist members is dissatisfied with the Government's pronouncement.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. A MOVE TO SPEED UP THE CONFERENCE. (Eec. March 20, 0.5 a.m.) London, March 21. 11l order to expedite the business at the Peace Conference the principal'mattors will bo referred to a committee consisting of M. Clemenceau, Mr. Lloyd George. President Wilson, and Signor Orlando, instead of the Council, of Ten. -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE NAURU MR. HUGHES CLAIMS A SOLE MANDATE. Paris, March. 23. A proposal, by which the British Delegation sought 'to settle the Nauru Island question by Britain, Australia, and Now Zealand sharing equally, was strongly resisted ' by Mr. William Hughes, who has issued a further memorandum, asserting Australia's, sole right to include it in her mandrte.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asn.

(Reo. March 25, 7.40 p.m.) London, March U. Mr. Keith Jlurdoch writes:—"ln spite of Mr. Hughes's latest memorandum regarding Nauru Island, which offers a guarantee to British trading concerns of a fair share of the phosphates, Britain seems likely to insist on 'the mandate going to Britain, the island being attached to a British group.-- Lord Milner is discussing with Mr. Massey.and Mr. Hughes tho question of a fair.distribution of the phosphates, and is prepared to guarantee a fixed scale of distribution for Australasia and Britain. Mr. Hughes is not satisfied with this. Mr. Massev naturally is satisfied, seeing that his claim for the Nauru mandate is based only on the somewhat flimsy argument that the trade route from Nauru to Auckland is much tho same distance as tho route from Nauru to Brisbane:— United Service.

THE EX-EMPEROR KARL NO CHARGE TO BE LAID AGAINST HIM. Paris, March 21. The Supreme War Council has considered the cases of the Emperor Knrl and the Empress Zita, mid agreed that Karl had tried for months to secure peace. No charge will be laid against the Emperor, who, in view of the Empress Zita's health, will be permitted to escape from Austria with his children and take refuge in Switzerland—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. .

THE GERMAN CABLES FUTURE STATUS SETTLED. (Roc Mnrch 25, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, March 2-4. The future status of tne German cables has been settled, but no details are given—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.