PEACE TREATY

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1919, Page 5

PEACE TREATY

HEAFTrMUST BE ACCEPTED. PRIORITY. FOR REPARATION, POLAND EXEMPTED, London, ■luce M. The Allies critbise Germany's vague location of five billions sterling in connecton with reparation, anl point out {hat no interest and "no substantial payment is offered until 1027, atcer which undefined instalment* continue for half a - century The present value of such a f respect is small. The Allies, howaver, recognising the feutual desirableness of a resumption tof German industry, a.v prepared to afford Germany commercial facilities for that purpose on conditions which csnEbe laid down in advance and subto the special economic situation ted for the Allies by tbe Getman Aggression. a Meanwhile the draft treaty must be accepted as definite and signed. The Allies cannot longer delay to assure their security, and Germany cannot afford to deny her population the offer of peace, and the Reparation Commission fcust begin work. The only question open now is how fcest to execute the, treaty provisions. Th* Allies maintain the right to obtain payment of reparation, etc, in priority Of the settlement of all other German Bebts, bnt will approve ex«j>tioiis. Germany must bear the 1 cost of the military Bccupation of the Rhine land, which is an ftssential guarantee. Germany cannot he in-edited with the value of the captuied tear material, but an important concession will he the recognition as a prior charge upon German assets of the payment for food supplies and raw materials.

Germany's pre-war debt will be flivjded is due proportion between Gertaany and the ceded territories, but' franc* cannot be reqatrttd to assume part of the public debt for AlsacsLorraine. (jfermany, will be coranellcd to alienate the greater part of her f.wien securities and no longer intimately involved in Jkhe financialor economic .life of the Allies or Russia. Owing to Germany's illegal acts, many of fie Allies are in ft state of economic inre.'iorify, therefore eertain non-reciprocal conditions in the matter of commercial nc-'iangea are befog imposed for a irin ; inu:a of five .years. Reciprocity, howe»«r, will be applied whenever possible. The Allies accept a few changes re* Rarding fori.?, waterways, end railways, for example free transit through Poland fcetween £**t Prussia and the rest of ISermanr. Poland U also exempted from r*for the German dent, and *he German eoloniea, , which hare not Mid their way, cannot possibly assume •art of the German debt, nor can the mandatory state be required to do so.

t USE OF MERCHANT SHIPS, Received June 18, 5.5 p.m. >. ** Paris, June 17. ~ lTie Allies hare conceded Germany the jte of merchant ships for two years if pe signs the peace terms.—Aus. N.Z. {Cable Assoc. PRESS COMMENTS. London, June 17. 'Newspapers applaud the Allied reply, declaring that it does not alter the essential joints of the treaty, but justices the severity of the punishment for fhe crime against humanity. •' '. HOSTILITY TO GERMAN DELEGATES. ..,-■. ?*"*» June IT, A demonstration against the German Delegates who were departing from Versailles resulted in Dr. Melchior and a iroman secretary being slightly injured. Mtoa. NZ Cable Assoc. MR. iMASSEYi'S VIEWS. London, June 17. ifr. Massey, interviewed, said that poUbtles* there was great disappointment regarding the reparation proposals, Wt It was a most difficult matter. It ,was almost impossible to get two experts to agree regarding/Germany's capacity to make good the losses due to the war. iHe hoped that the Germans would see the wisdom of signing the peace and at once, and so do away to some extent with the unrest prevalent over the whole World.

Mr. Mawey will return to Paris tomorrow, returning to London early next week, '** d hopes to sail by the Mauretania- on June 271—Am. NJZ. Cable As'loeiation.

jTCRKISH: DELEGATES RECEIVED.

T. ■• . Par**, Jane 17. The Council of Tea received the pnrkish delegates.