THE PRELIMINARY TREATY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 March 1919, Page 5

THE PRELIMINARY TREATY.

THE "BIG FOUR" AT WORK. Received March 28, 12.25 p.m. Paris, March 2G. As the drafting of the preliminary peace treaty is mainly a European concern, Japan has not raised objection to omission from the meeting of the four Premiers. Japan is chiefly interested in pressing her claims for equality in the League of Nations. Although the question of immigration is not given prominence in the present issue, it is certain to emerge later on. Immigration is not likely to be a burning topic in .Japan for at least live years after the war.

The "Big Four" are apparently working on a basis of each presenting a draft of the peace terms from his own viewpoint, and then co-ordinating these into a single document The work already accomplished by the various commissions and the Council of Ten has done much to pave the way for the new procedure,— Aui. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.

LEAKAGE OF NEWS. FRENCH PAPER'S RETORT. Received March 27, 11.20 p.m. Paris, March 26. The iFreneh Government is investigating how the Frencli newspapers gained information regarding the Supreme War Council leakage, which has caused a warm discussion in the Council of Ten, culminating in stringent orders upon those connected with the Council to maintain secrecy. The Figaro retorts by saying that the French newspapers got the news from foreign previous day's newspapers. —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.