THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1919, Page 5

THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

IMPORTANT DECISION PENDING. GERMAN WAR MATERIAL. TO BE DESTROYED. Received March 4, 1.30 a.m. Paris, March 3. Critical deeiaiona are expected at the Peace Conference during the week, including the settlement o; the preliminary peace terms, which should be ready when President Wilson lands on the thirteenth. It is believed it has neen decided that Germany will bo compelled to destroy all lur war material over and above the maximum which the Committee of Commanders in-chief allow; also her entire fleet of military aeroplanes- This will save the cost aud delay of their transport to the allied countries.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. THE GERMAN PROBLEM. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. London, March 2. The Observer's Paris correspondent says that the conference has achieved something really fine in securing assent to the draft convention of the League of Nations. With academic debates and indecision in all other directions a>great effort has been made to atone Wr the absence of a general European policy and present us with the first sketch of the new world before Easter.

Nothing substantial will be attained as long as we are in the oar. c?Jin<!re« ing tiie future of Germany ard Rjjssta. Germany is certain to endors? any condition we now try to enlorce on her, but within a decade will be able ir> i*s<* up the treaty, unless we not only make lie* harmless, hut see that s _ 'ieu treaty is compatible with the necessities of her future development- It U far more important to us that Germany should be a federated State from which Pruseianism is excluded, than that her borders should run. slightly more east or west.—Aus.-N-Z. Cable Assn. DESTRUCTION OF GERMAN GUNS. SUPERVISION OF ARMAMENT FACTORIES. Received March 3, 9.5 p.m. Paris, March 2. The Echo de Paris believes that the inter-Allied military commission will supervise the destruction of all guns and aeroplanes in Germany beyond what are necessary to equip the reduced armyAllied experts will permanently supervise the great armament factories. —■ Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. A PRELIMINARY PEACE. POLICY OF THE CONFERENCE. London, 2. Mr Balfour, addressing British joup nalists. said that by the end of March v.-e shall be in sight of a preliminary peace, which is the greatest stride towards universal peace. As a representative of the British Government he was in a position to eay that what was going on in America at that moment was more important for the success of a general peace than what was being done in Paris to-day. The policy of the Conference was to press on as fast as possible the preliminary peace with our greatest enemy- Peace with Germany was the most important instalment of the general peace and tha easiest to make, as she wft3 the only pnemv Power undissolved Mr Balfour added that the League oi Nation* would not attain the fullest fruit unless the United States took ail even share in the trrcater after-peaea tasks.—Ans.-N.Z. Cable Assn. WORK OF THE COMMISSIONS. Paris. March 2. The commission on Belgian affairs, which is fixincr the contingent compensation for Holland in exchange for the tcritnrv claimed by Belgium, examined ns a whole the revision of the treaty of issn. Tt is pxpeoted all the commissions will finish their labors by Saturday next—• AtiP.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. THE PEACE TERMS.

New YorV, 'March 22. Tha Paris correspondent of the Now YorV- Times states that the terms of the Peace Treaty, which w-'ll he presented for sismaturo by Germany, will provide for the following: The destruction of all German submarines, the prohibition of the future use of submarines in war, the destruction of the German fleet. end the reduction of the German p.nny to 200.000 men. the retention rrf the German eabes bv the Allies, the destruction of the fortifications on He.li-.p-pland and the Kiel Canal —Ans.-N.55. Cable Assn. ABOLITION OF SUBMARINES. Paris. March 2. According to the navai peace terms it ia untrue that submarines will be nbolisheri as weapons of war-—Aus.-N.55. Cable Assn. THE MILITARY CONDITIONS. London, March I. A communique from Paris states thnt at a meeting of representatives of the great Power I '. Marshal Foch submitted a report of the military representatives on the Supreme War Council regarding the military conditions to be imposed on the enemy.