COUNTER-PROPOSALS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 225, 17 June 1919, Page 5

COUNTER-PROPOSALS

WHAT GERMANY DECLINES AND WHAT SHE WANTS RELUCTANCE TO PART WITH THE . COLONIES FOCH GOES TO THE FRONT (By Tele'rapli-Press Association--Copyri|?h.t Paris, Juno 10. The Allies will publish the German counter-proposals this evening, and the Allies' reply to-morrow. The reply stales that directly the economic restrictions end Germany will enjoy tiio same advantages as other members of the League. The Allies' amendments to the Treaty include the following: Germany must submit within four months proposals regarding-the amount of reparation and the methods of payment. A plebiscite will be taken in Upper Silesia within eighteen months. Germany to lje admitted to the Leagua of Nations in the near future. .Negotiations to bo opened immediately with the view to a general reduction in armaments. ' Effectives in the German Army to bo limited to 200,000 for three years.-:Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE GERMAN "COMER-PROPOSALS REFUSALS AND DEMANDS. (Rec. June 10, 8.30 p.m.) Washington, June 15. The State Department has issued a 6ummary .of the German counter-pro posals, stating that: Germany claims the rightto retain her colonies on account of the improvements she made there. Germany agrees to pay a maximum reparation of one hundred million marks, provided the Allies accept the other German counter-proposals regarding the overseas colonies and territories. Germany refuses to accent the trial of the ox-Kaiser or sanction his extradition. Germany demands immediate admission to tho League of Nations. Germany finds the Labour clauses in the Treaty unsatisfactory. Germany also protests against tho occupation of the Rhine provinces, and demands the Allied withdrawal wtihin oh months after peace is concluded. Germany proposes an International Court, composed of Judges from neutral countries, to determine the share of way criminality of each belligerent.—Aus.-N.2'. Cable Assn. (Rcc. June 16, .9.25 p.m.) ' . London, June 15. The German counter-proposals agree to a reduction of armaments, but ask for a period of transitions and delay, the League of Nations to supervise the disarmaments, The Saar question must be settled exclusively on an economic basis; A plebiscite in Alsace-Lorraine is demanded, and if it favours France the latter should assume a proportion of the German.debt; . ■ Germany declines to yield Danzig; She asks that a Special Committee should decide on the colonies, which Germany is prepared to administer. under the League if she is made an immediate member on equality with the others; She also demands most-fnvoured-nation treatment for a term of years, and freedom of the tariffs of nU nations; The. reparations annuity for the first decade is not to exceed a. billion .marks, taxed on revenues, and the total is not. \n exceed one hundred'billion marks.— Aus.-N.7i. Cable Assn. DEADLOCKJIIREATENED THE GERMAN GAME OF BLUM 1 . ■'■ (Rec. June 10, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, June 10. Something approaching a deadlock has arisen over tho Allies' reply to the German counter-proposals. M. Clemenceau .is reported to be firmly adhering to tho terms of tho Treaty, for the reason. that French.public opinion is strongly avorsb to a change. Tho Council of Four considered tho reports of the various commissions on the counter-proposals. It is believed that the reply will Jix June 19. ns tho date on which the Germans must say whether they will sign or decline. There is good reason to believe* that when the Germans reeeivo the ultimatum they will declare that they must refer the matter to the National Assembly for decision, and. it is expected that the latter will reject the Treaty. Tho Germans hope that this may causn a panic among the Allies, forcing them to enter into verbal negotiations.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE WILUO SIGN CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT MAY BE NECESSARY. Paris, June 7 (delayed). A French semi-official message states i The German Government as a whole is not unwilling to sign, but a large minority, under Hcrr Erzberger, is ready to construct a new Government, which will sign. Hcrr Richthofen, one of the principal democratic leaders, approves the reconstruction. Count Rantzau is willing to sign, but bis present position in the Government is Jiot assured—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. " FATIGUE AnF?ATALISM " . THE MOB SPIRIT/IN GERMANY. Paris, June G (delayed). The "Temps" Berlin correspondent, reviewing the. situation in Germany, sayss, The contest is between two men, Herr Erzberger, who invokes national unity, declares tlio refusal to sign is theatrical and useless, and will bring about the occupation of tho country, disunion, and ruin, and claims that peace treaties aro not eternal; and Count Rantzau, who heads tho "bluff-it-out" schcol, holding that the Allies aro powerless, their armies demoralised, and that strikes aro increasing. The Socialists are attacking the Treaty, and refuse to sign. The correspondent ndds: "Tho mob in Germnny is compounded of fatigue and fatalism."—Aus.-N.Z. .Cable .Assn. FOCHLEAYESjSTHE FRONT' PREPARED TO INVADE . GERMANY London, June 15. Marshal Foch has left Paris for a tour of tho army at the front. He will remain at headquarters in Luxemburg in readiness to give tho order to advance in the event of the Germans refusing to sign the Treaty—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . PLIGHT OF MO-SLOVAKS SERTOUS CRISIS CREATED. (Rec. June 16, 8.30 p.m.) Paris, June 10. '.Che position of C/.echo-Slovakia is becoming serious. Obviously she is not strong enough to withstand the Hungarian Bolshevist attacks, and urgently needs help. Tho action of tho Peace Conference iu stopping the advance of tbo Rumanians when they practically had Budapest in their grasp and Bela Kun's regime was tottering, has accentuated the gravity of tho position.' The Conference has now telegraphed to tlio Hungarians* to stop their hostilities, threatening extremo measures if the request is not complied with. .The Council has also referred tho question to (ho military experts. M. Clcnienceau favours tho dispatch of French and Rumanian troops now in Southern Hungary, but President Wilson and Mr. Lloyd George urge n policy of temporising—Aus.-N.Z. C'ab'c Assn.