PEACE CONFERENCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 6 February 1919, Page 5

PEACE CONFERENCE.

V THE LEAGUE SCHEME. DRAFT BEING PREPARED. PARIS, February 4. Ths delegates of tie five great Powers ar© devoting a week to the of Nations scheme. Jtfr. Wilion will be chairman of the committee

drafting the scheme, which will be submitted'to the conference. When the full jconjerenee.- has adopted it the scheme will have a short rest while Mr. Wilson returns to America and Mr Lloyd George to England. Meantime the various committees will consider the data recently poured into the conference on the subject. Italy is anxiously watching the developments of the principle adopted in connection with the German colonies, in connection with her claim to Dalmatia. The Italians do not expect to give up any of the territory they occupied under the armistice, regarding it as being rightfully Italian.

MANDATORY SYSTEM.

LONDON, February 4

The "Central News" correspondent in Paris interviewed Mr. Hughes on the statement that the Imperial Cabinet in the middle of December unanimously agreed to the acceptance of the principle of a mandatory system, Mr. Hughes expressed amazement at the declaring that no decision was .reached until the question was forced on the Imperial Cabinet last week, when he specifically withheld his assent. LEAGUE AND MONROE DOCTRINE PARIS. February 4. The peace delegates from the United States believe that the League of Nations will not Impair the. principle of the Monroe Doctrine. It is understood that the plan provides that any unauthorised aggressive act -will automatically place the aggressor at war with the entire; league. RUSSIAN AND COLONIAL . PROBLEMS. DISSATISFACTION . EXPRESSED.

Received 9.30 a.m. PARIS, February 4.

Australian irritation regarding the pAvisional arrangement re the colonies doesn *t abate. The general criticism here is that the Congress has met the colonial and Russian problems with a tentative and unsatisfactory proposal.

BRAZIL'S CLAIMS.

Received 10.55 a.m. PARIS, February 4.

Brazil will prababiy claim the right to. retain forty-three German meiv chantmen valued at £3,200,000, also the payment of six million sterling deposited in German banks for coffee purchased before the war. If the Conference decides on an indemnity for war .expenditure Brazil will claim ten millions.

THE QUESTION OF REPARATION.

BELGIUM COMES FIRST.

Received noon,

LONDON, February 4.

The "Evening Standard" says the conference is determined to exact full and ample reparation for any unjustifiable damage A sharp distinction is drawn between the damage due to legitimate warfare and what was done wantonly in Belgium and Serbia, and has completed detailed claims of the Serbian claims between Bulgaria ana Austria, as the latter empire does not exist. Belgium will receive first reparation. France is making upTa considerable bill for the outrages and deliberate destruction of property, but has abandoned the demand for the return of the indemnity paid in 1871.

CONSTANTINOPLE'S FUTURE

PARIS, Feb. 2.

The Australian Press correspondent states: Venizelos ably presented Greece's case, and created a favourihnpijessjion Their in Asia Minor, cutting off as it does "the Turkish Littoral, may occasion difficulty in arranging. The basis of th'e claim for Constantinople is that onethird of tho population are Greek. JAPAN PUTTING ON THE SCREW. NEW YORK, February 4. The Pekin. corespondent states that he learns from a responsible source that Japan is to bring to toear updn the Chinese Seaee Dalegatfoyf, whose 'activities are ajmoaaly embarrassing Japan and placing her in a false light, SPAIN AND GIBRALTAR. LONDON, February 4. Merry Del VsaL the Spanish Am- j b&ssador. in * lettvr to the press on I

bdhalf of fthe Mauric! Government, denies that Spain approached any Government regarding the return of Gilbraltar. The Ambassador states the object of the invention is to estrange Britain and Spain at a pecularly critical moment. The source of this intrigue is well known and is not Spanish.

PEACE DELEGATES HARD AT /WORK.

PARIS, February 4

The delegates of the five Great Powers are devoting the week to the League of Nations scheme. President Wilson will be chairmnia of the committee drafting the scheme, which will be submitted to the conference. When the full conference has adopted it, there will be a short rest, while President Wilson returns to America and Mr Lloyd George to England In the meantime the various eommittes will consider the data recently poured into the conference. • Italy is anxiously watching the developments of the principle adopted in connection with the German colonies, on account of' her claim to Dalmatia. The Italians do not expect to give up any territory they occupied under the armistice, regarding it as rightfully Italian . To-day's meeting of the-League of Nations Commission afforded members an opportunity to express their individual views on the general principles which should govern the League. While the plan has not been disclosed it is stated it will be a combination of French, British and American ideas touching upon the limrtaticTn of armaments, navial and military. The Commission on Responsibility for the War decided to appoint three sub-conimittoes, Mr. Massey, M. Tardieu and M. Politis are named to nominate the committees.

M. Klatz has been elected president of the Reparation Committee, and Mr. Hughes and Mr Van DenheUval the vice-presidents. TWO PLANS DISCUSSED. LONDON, February 4. Two plans are being considered for the League of Nations. The first gives equal representation to big and little Powers. There is a tendency by the Great Nations to give every reasonable consideration to " the wishes of,-smaller nations, while presenting to the major r T?ower such voice as thoir responsibilities warrant. The first plan has three main features—legislative, executive "and arbitration. In the case of a dispute between nations, each names on arbitrator, who selects a third. The second plan modifies the extent of the- Great Powers to tEe nomination of the executive- branch, thft legislative branch the same, with great and the small Powers equally represented, and eliminates arbitration and substitutes an executive council of the Great Powers as a tribunal.

THE WORLD'S TERRIBLE INDICTMENT.

LONDON, February 4.

An official report states: The Commission on Breaches' of the Rules of War. to which Mr. Massey has been appointed, consists of two representatives of each of the five great Powers, and may be described as a grand jury of the Allies to consider the world's terrible indictment of the" authors of the war. and the enemy's crimes against all the iaWs~of free nations. The British members include Mr. Gordon Stewart, K.C. and M.P., the At-torney-General, and Mr. Massey. Mr Lansing has been elected chairman of the commission. The inquiry will include responsibility for the enemy's crimes, the constitution of the tribunal, and the procedure for the trial of the offenders, however highly placed, and a report to t he Peace Conference on the facts as regards breaches on land and sea during the war. It is certain that a true bill will be returned, but the punishment will be a problem.