PEACE CONFERENCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 26 March 1919, Page 5

PEACE CONFERENCE.

V EQUALITY OF NATIONS.

JAPANESE STATEMENT,

Received 8,55 a.m.

PARIS, March 23.

The Chief of the Japanese Press Bureau to the Peace Dclcgafron, in an njfcrview, said the idea of Japan seeking to amend the League Covenant was to prevent discrimination between aliens who seemed advanced enough and qualifed to become members of the League. He believed the League could not be solidly found on any other basis. It must be founded on equity because the citizens of the nations would be compelled, 11 necessary, to sacrifice life to defend the League. He believed it never entered the minds of Japanese delegates to utilise the amendment in order 10 press a solution of the immigration question. The former should not be confused with immigration. There was an unanimous demand on the part of the Japanese people to have the equality principle clearly cmbodiejd in the covenant.

DEFINITE PROPOSALS FORMULATED.

READY FOR SIGNATURE, NEXT WEEK

Received 10.5 a.m.

PARIS, March 25. , | Definite peace proposals have been and will be considered during the next few days by M. Clemenceau, Lloyd George, President Wilson and Signor Orlando, and will probably he ready for signature next week.

THE TROUBLE IN EGYPT.

STATEMENT BY LORD CTJRZON,

LONDON, March 24

Lord Curzon, in the House ,of Lords said the situation in Egypt was less anxious. Mobs in Upper Egypt had torn up the railway and cut down telegraph poles, but communication was being maintained by aeroplanes and wireless. The recent manifestations were predatory other than political. ’A serious feature was the possibility of Bedouins joining the disturbance. Doubtless General Allcnby would soon re-establish order.

The position has improved in Egypt. Cairo and Alexandria are reunited "by railway The “Daily Express’s” Cairo correspondent states that all'railway traffic in Egypt was suspended on Sunday. Mobs wrecked many of the stations and cut the lines, but the troops now hold the principal stations. Aeroplanes patrol the tracks, machine-gun-ning the mobs. Trouble was renewed on Monday, more stations being" destroyed The student and lawyer classes who fomented the trouble nowfind themselves in the hands .of lawless bands of Bedouins, and labourers. Cairo fears fresh outbreaks, but the railways and telegraphs are heavily guarded and tlm streets patrolled. Trooop are confined to the barracks.

PAYMENT OF GERMAN indemnities.

FINDING A WAY OUT.

Received 11.35 a.m

PARIS, March 24

The date of fixing’signatures to preliminary peace depends on the completion of the reports of the Economic Council’s experts, who are endeavouring to find a solution by which Germany can pay the indemnity "with the least injury to the industries of the Allies. It is known that certain members of the conference desire the raising of the blockade against Germany, but the weight of the Conference is against tin's, realising that the whole question of indemnities and method of payment must first be determined.

NAURU

AUSTRALIA FIGHTING HARD. LONDON, March 24 Mr. Murdoch -writes: Despite Mr. Hughes’ latest memorandum regarding "Nauru, which offers to guarantee British trading concerns a fair share of

phosphates, Britain seems likely to insist on the mandate going to Britain and the island being attached to the

British group. Lord Milner is discuss-

ing with Mr. Massey and Mr. Hughes the fair distribution of the phosphates and is prepared to guarantee a fixeer scale of distribution to Australasia and

Britain, Wt: Hughes is not satisfies

with this. Mr. Massey is naturally satisfied, seeing his claim for Nauru ’Mandate is based only on the somewhat flimsy argument that the trade xoute from Nauru to Auckland fs much the same distance as the route from Nauru to Brisbane.