Austrian Peace Treaty.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 June 1919, Page 5

Austrian Peace Treaty.

THE ALLIES' TERMS. LONDON, June 1. The conditions of peace of the Allied and Associated Powers, with the excejition of the military, reparation, financial, and certain boundary clauses, were handed to the Austrian plenipotentiaries at St. Germain on June Ist. Those clauses which arc not yet ready for presentation will be delivered as soon as possible, tbo Austrians in the meanwhile having an opportunity to begin work on the greater part of the Treaty, in an effort to facilitate a final decision. The Austrian Treaty follows exactly the same outline as the German, and in many places is identical with it, except for the change in name. Certain specific clauses which applied only to Germany arc, of course, omitted, and certain new clauses of particular applicability to Austria are included, especially a s regards the new States created out of the former Aus-tro-Hungarian Empire.

Austria is left by the Treaty a State of about six million people, inhabiting a territory of between 50,000 and 60,000 square miles. Austria recognises the complete independence of Hungary, TcheehoSlovakia and the Serbo-Croat-Slovene State, and cedes other territories which previously in union with her composed the Empire of Austria-Hun-gary.

Austria agrees to accept the League of Nations Covenant and the Labour Charter; to renounce all her whole naval and aerial forces; to admit the right of trial by Allied and Associated Powers of her nationals guilty of the violation of laws and customs of war, and to accept detailed provisions similar to those in the German Treaty as to her economic relations and freedom of transit.

In the following summary, Part 1 containing the covenant of the League of Nations, and Part 12, containing the Labour Convention, are identical with those in the German Treaty, with those in the German Treaty, and are therefore omitted.

Part 6, dealing witb prisoners of war and graves, and Part 10, with aerial navigation, are identical with the substitution of, Austria and Austrian for Germany and German, and arc also omitted. Similarly Part 13 of the German Treaty, containing guarantees for execution is not included in the Austrian Treaty. PART 2—THE FRONTIERS OF AUSTRIA.

The northern frontier, facing Tche-cho-Slovakia, follows the existing administrative boundaries- formerly separating the provinces of Bohemia and Moravia from those of Upper and Lower Austria, subject to certain minor rectifications notably in the region of Good and Feldsborg. and along the river Moravia. The soutlfern frontier facing Italy, and the Serbo-Croat, Slovene State, is to bo fixed by the principal Allied and Associated Powers at a later date, In the eastern part, the line passing just east of Blieburg crosses the Drave just above its confluence with , the Lavani, and thence will pass north of the Drave so as to leave to the Scrb-Croat-Slovonc State Marburg and and Radkersburg, just to the north of which latter place it will join the Hungarian frontier. The western and north-western frontier facing Switzerland, and the eastern frontier facing Hungary, remain unchanged.

PART 3 —THE POLITICAL CLAUSES.

The high contracting parties JOcognise and accept the frontiers of Bulgaria. Greece. Hungary, Poland, Roumania, the Sorb-Croat-Sloven~ Slate and the Tchecho-Slovak Stare •as at present for as ultimately determined. Austria renounces in favour of the principal and Allied Associated Powers all her rights and titles over the territories formerly belonging to her which, though outside the new frontiers of Austria-, have not at. present been assigned to any State undertaking to accept the settlement to be made in regard to these territories

THE TCHECHO-SLOVAK STATE. Austria recognises the complete independence of the Tchccho-Slovak State, including the autonomous territory south of the Carpathians, in conformity with the action already taken by the Allied and Associated Powers. The exact boundary between Austria and the new State is to be fixed by a field commission of seven members, five nominated by the principal Allied and Associated Powers and one each by Austria and Tchecho-Slovakia. Tchecho-Slovakia agrees to embody in a treaty with the principal Allied and Associated Powers such provisions as may be deemed necessary to protect racial, religious or linguistic minorities, and to assure freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of other nations, THE SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE. Austria similarly recognises the complete independence of the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, and renounces her rights and titles. A similarly appointed field commission, including a

member nominated by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, is to fix the exact boundary. The question of the basin of Klagenfurt is reserved. The Ser.b-Croat-Slovene State agrees to a similar treaty for the protection of minorities and freedom of transit. ROUMANIA.

Roumania agrees to a similar treaty for the protection of minorities and freedom of transit. RUSSIA.

Austria is to recognise and respect the full independence of all the territories which formed part of the former Russian Empires. She is to accept definitely the annulment of the BrestLitovsk Treaty and of all treaties or agreements of all kinds concluded since the revolution of November, 1917 with all Governments of political groups on territory of the former Russian Empire, The Allies reserve all rights On the part of Russia for restitution and satisfaction to be obtained fro: i. Austria on the principles of the present treaty. GENEBAL ARRANGEMENTS.

Austria is to consent to the -abrogation of the treaties of 1839. by which Belgium was established as a neutral State and her frontiers fixed, and to accept in advance any Convention with which the Allies may determine to replace them. Austria adheres to the abrogation of the neutrality of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and accepts in advance all international agreements as to it reached by the Allies and Associated Powers. Austrian Nationals belonging to racial, religious, or linguistic minorities are to enjoy the same protection as other Austrian nationals, in particular with regard to schools and 'other educational establishments, ;and in districts where a considerable proportion of Austrian nationals of other than German speech are resident, facilities are to bo given in schools for the instruction of children in their own language, and an equitable share of public funds is to be provided for the purpose. Those provisions do not preclude the Austrian. Government from making the teaching of German obligatory. They are to be embodied by Austria in her fundamental law as a Bill of Rights, and the provisions regarding them are to be under the protection of the League of Nations,

PART 4.--AUSTRAN RIGHTS OUT SIDE EUROPE.

Outside Europe, 7 Vustrla renounces all rights and privileges as to her own or her Allies’ territories to all the Allied and Associated Powers, anti undertakes to accept whatever measures are taken by the principal Allied Powers made with Turkey and Bulgaria with reference to any rights, privileges, or interests claimed in these countries by Austria or her nationals, and not dealt with elsewhere. Austria accepts all arrangements where the Allied and Associated Powers make with Germany concerning the territories whose abandonment was imposed upon Denmark by the Treaty of 1864. PROTECTION OF MINORITIES. In a series of special clauses. Austria. undertakes to bring her institutions in conformity with the principles ct liberty and justice, and acknow-ledges-that the obligations for the protection of minorities are matters of international Concern over which the 1 ■ ague of Nations has jurisdiction. She assures complete protection of life and property, and liberty to all inhabitants o c Austria, without. distinction of ’■•■’■t-h. nationality, language, race, or religion, together with the right to free exercise of any creed. All Austrian nationals, without distinction of race, language, or religion, are to be equal before the law. No restrictions are to be imposed on the free use of any language in private or public, and reasonable facilities are to be given to Austrian nationals of non-German speech for the use of their language before the Courts. The clauses as to Egypt, M'Orocco, China, and Siam art' identical, after the necessary modifications, with those of the German treaty, except that especially in I lie case of China there is not, need for so great, detail.

PART S—MBIT ARY, NATAL AND AIR CLAUSES.

The military clauses arc reserved. Naval.—All the Austro-Hungarian warships, submarines, and vessels of the Danube flotilla are declared to be finally surrendered to the principal Allied and Associated Powers. Twentyone specified auxiliary cruisers are to be disarmed and treated as merchant ships. All warships and submarines under construction in ports which belong, or have 'belonged, do Austria-Hud-gary, shall bo broken up. the salvage not to bo used except for industrial purposes, and not to be sold to foreign countries. The construction or acquisition of any submarines, even for commercial purposes, is forbidden. All navai arms, ammunition, and other war material belonging to Austria-Hungary at the date of the armistice, shall be surrendered to the Allies. The Austrian wireless station .ah Vienna is not to be usdo for naval, military, or political messages relating to Austria or her late Allies, without the assent of i the Allied and Associated Governments during three months, but. only for commercial purposes under supervision. During the sara'c period, Aus-

til a is not to build any more highpowered wireless stations. AIR CLAUSES.

The air clauses are practically the same as in the German treaty, except for the one hundred seaplanes and their personnel which Germany is allowed to retain until October to Search for mines. GENERAL. Austria agrees not to accredit or send any military, naval, or air mission to any foreign country, nor to allow Austrian nationals to enlist in the army, navy, or air service of any foreign Power. PART 7.—ON PENALTIES. This is identical with the Gorman treaty, except the omission of any provision similar to that calling for the ('rial of the ex-Kaiser of Germany. PART B.—ON REPARATIONS. This is reserved. PART 9.—FINANCIAL CLAUSES. These are reserved. PART 10. —ECONOMIC CLAUSES. These are, except, in certain details, such as shipping, similar to those of the German treaty. Special provisions arc added, however, for former Aus-tro-Hungarian nationals acquiring an Allied nationality similar to those in the German treaty relating to the inhabitants of Alsace-Lorraine. The contracts are maintained subject to cancellation by the Governments.- Austria undertakes to recognise any agreements or conventions made by the Allies to safeguard the interests of their nationals in any undertaking constituted under Austro-Hungarian law, which operate in territories detached from the former Austrian Empire, and to transfer any necessary documents and information in regard to them. ? PART 10.—FREEDOM OF TRANSIT. The clans os as to freedom of transit are the same in the Austrian as in the German Treaty, except for the omission of the provision*; affecting Germany alone, and the insertion of specific clauses granting Austria transit privileges through former Austro-Hun-garian territory in order to assure her access to the Adriatic. PART 14. —MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. These are, after necessary substitutions, virtually identical'with those of the German Treaty. The treaty is to come into force when signed by-Austria and the three principal Powers, and to be effective for the individual States on the deposit of their specific ratifications. AUSTRIA ACCEPTS. ALLIES TERMS. PARIS, June 2. M. Clemenceau presented the Austrian terms to Herr Ron or, who graciously received them. He accepted the fate imposed and asked for a peace ensuring national, political,'and economic existence.