TREATY OBLIGATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1920, Page 2

TREATY OBLIGATIONS

MR BALFOUR’S CLEAR REVIEW

(By Electrip Telegraph—Copyright.' (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 13. lit. Hon. A. J. Balfour replying jn the House of Commons, declared that neither the Allied nor the Gerinap experts were able to estimate what Geimany would he able to pay to fifteen years, hence the Treaty provided that Germany might offer a lump sum within four' months. The British Governent always had been most anxious to carefully' limit its list of war criminals, but was not able to examine the other lists. The British lists included nobody who had carried out illegal orders unless the officer exceeded such orders. He sympathised with the difficult position of M. Ctemcncenu who had applied the British viewpoint, hut who \\.v unable to escape the inclusion of persons nudity of individual crimes. Mr Balfour believed there were no colours too dark in which to paint the .neater part of Europe, but the deplorable situation was not due to tin. Treaty but was the outcome of Die and the implication of the principle of self-detcrniiiiafioij to eo-opei-ate with their neighbours. Mp Baltolb said Germany was not responsible toi. delaying tlio Turkish peace He considered the suggested intervention of the League of Nations in regard to Russia was of no value because its leading members had already misuccyssfullv tried to discover a solution at the Peace Conference. Broadly speaking, the reason why Knrpp.o lacked hq >»«R> fundamental necessaries at u ,f„ro 11.0 »•».', “I" 1 1 shattered.

Great amelioration in the condition of Europe might he possible if the countries which the war had left richer than before (cheers), fully assisted Britain. The greatest contribution to a solution would be to maintain intact and build up Britain’s great industrial system around which the whole system of Europe really revolved.