RATIFICATION OF THE PEACE TREATY
French Chambers Ratify Treaty.—Following the ratification of the Peace Treaty by the French Chamber of Deputies, the French Senate opened debate on the treaty October 7 and ratified both the treaty and the Franco-British and Franco-American agreements on October 11 by a large majority. The ratification of the treaty by Great Britain and France left it necessary for only one other of the great powers to ratify in order to put the treaty into effect.
King of Italy Issues Decree Approving Treaty.—On October 7 King Victor Emanuel of Italy issued a decree authorizing the government to execute the peace treaties with Germany and Austria, and at the same time setting forth that the decree be presented to Parliament to be converted into law. Since elections for Parliament take place in Italy on November 16, and since the new Parliament will not meet until December, Italy's ratification of the treaty cannot be completed until that month.
Emperor May Ratify for Japan.—Paris, October 8.—Ratification by the Japanese Parliament of the German Peace Treaty is not required by the Constitution of Japan, according to information from Peace Conference circles. Signature by the Emperor after consultation with the private diplomatic council constitutes the necessary ratification, and this is expected to be effected by October 15.
If two others of the five great powers have communicated the official announcement of ratification to the French Foreign Office by that time, or if the governments of France and Great Britain have joined the sovereign of Italy in completing the forms of ratification before, a proces verbal will then be drafted by the French Foreign Office stating that the documents have been deposited there, and the date of this document will be that on which the treaty will come into force.
The state of war will be at an end from the date of the proces verbal, and, with the reservations stipulated in the treaty, official relations will then be resumed between the allied and associated powers and Germany.
Directly after the Versailles Treaty has come into force, the Council of the League of Nations is required to meet in order to intervene immediately in a certain number of urgent questions, such as the appointment within a fortnight of members of the commissions to delimit the frontiers of Sarre district and Danzig.—N.Y. Times, 9/10.
Peace Treaty Debate in U. S. Senate.—On October 2 the Fall Amendments to the Peace Treaty, which would have barred American representation on the various commissions created in the document, were defeated by a vote in which those opposed to the amendments received a majority ranging from 5 to 10 over those in favor. On October 16 the Shantung Amendments, providing for the transfer of Japan's privileges to China, were defeated by a vote of 55 to 35.
During the week ending October 12 insistent efforts were made by "middle ground" senators to persuade Democratic leaders to agree upon compromise reservations to the League of Nations Covenant, in order that the entire treaty might not be defeated. The administration senators held out against any compromise that involved sending the treaty back to the Peace Conference, and threatened themselves to vote against a ratifying resolution in which "killing reservations" were made.
GERMANY
Allies Insist on Evacuation of Baltic Provinces.—In the third week of September the Paris Supreme Council sent a note to Germany renewing its demand that German troops evacuate Courland and other Baltic provinces formerly a part of Russia. In reply on October 5 the German Government stated that it had recalled General von der Goltz, commander of the German troops in the Baltic provinces, had stopped pay, supplies, and munitions on September 25, and had thus exhausted its means of coercion. It suggested that an Allied commission should be sent to the Baltic to verify these facts. On October 10, Marshal Foch was directed to renew the Allied demand and to place upon the German Government entire responsibility for its execution.
German reports of the same date stated that the greater part of General von der Goltz's army, variously estimated to number from 35,000 to 60,000, was leaving the provinces. But on October 11 came news to the effect that German forces in cooperation with Russians had occupied the port of Riga and compelled Lettish troops to evacuate the city.
Germany Gives Up Austrian Union.—Paris, September 21.—Baron Kurt von Leersner, President of the German Peace Delegation at Versailles, to-morrow afternoon at 4 o'clock will sign the protocol annulling Article 61 of the German constitution, as demanded by the Peace Conference. The signing will take place at Versailles and will be private. Jules Cambon of the French Peace Mission will be the only Allied representative present.
Article 61 of the German constitution would have given Austria representation in the German Parliament. The Supreme Council declared that this provision was contrary to the stipulations of the Versailles Treaty.—N.Y. Times, 22/9.
ITALY
D'Annunzio at Fiume.—On September 13, Gabriele d'Annunzio, the poet-aviator, entered Fiume with about 2300 troops and 40 motor lorries, the 6th Italian Army Corps which was in the city refusing to prevent his entry and for the most part joining his undertaking. General Badoglio, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, was at once sent to Fiume with full powers, but failed completely to bring the troops within the city under government control. The French and British garrisons for the most part withdrew on September 15.
Upon news of the Fiume coup, Foreign Minister Tittoni at once returned from Paris to Rome. The Italian Government, condemned the action of the rebellious troops, and instituted a blockade of Fiume. On October 4, however, food was allowed to enter the city, and only a loose military blockade was continued. D'Annunzio's forces at the time numbered from 25,000 to 30,000, occupying the city itself, the Jugo-Slav suburb of Sussak, and the country behind to a distance of about six miles. Though on the verge of hostilities with the Jugo-Slavs, the Italian leader early in October issued a message to the effect that while the Adriatic was "an Italian sea" the Slavs would be conceded full commercial privileges.
Italy's Policy Dependent on Coming Election.—On September 29 the Italian Parliament was dissolved, the new Parliament to assemble about December 1 following elections on November 16. In the interim it was believed that the Nitti Cabinet would hold over and take no decisive action. Hope of a peaceful settlement of the Fiume question rests on the defeat of the militarists and nationalists in the coming election. Otherwise, unless Fiume is in the meantime given to Italy by the Peace Conference, it will be annexed by Italy without regard to the wishes of the powers.
American Forces Landed at Trau.—On September 26 the Secretary of the Navy announced that a force from the U.S.S. Olympia had landed and taken control of the port of Trau, on the Dalmatian coast, which had been occupied by Italians and which was evacuated without hostilities upon the landing of the American forces. It was stated that the action of Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, in ordering this move, had been authorized by the Supreme Council.
On September 29 two resolutions were introduced in the Senate and referred to committees, one condemning the action of the Supreme Council and the other merely calling upon the State Department for information. It was unofficially pointed out that the Dalmatian coast was enemy territory surrendered by Austria, not yet disposed of by the Peace Conference, and pending its decisions still under the trusteeship of the Allies. Until a settlement was reached, United States naval forces were assigned the duty of maintaining order on a part of the coast, and resisted the seizure of Trau as in violation of the terms of the temporary arrangement.
BELGIUM AND HOLLAND
Dispute Over Limburg and Control of Scheldt.—On September 21 press despatches stated that a diplomatic rupture between Holland and Belgium threatened as a result of Belgium's insistent demand that the frontier be altered so as to give her control of a small strip of the Dutch province of Limburg lying between Belgium and Germany, and also of Dutch territory south of the Scheldt. Domination of the southern bank of the Scheldt would secure Belgium against a Dutch blockade of the river mouth in time of war and against trade aggression in time of peace.
BULGARIA
Peace Terms to Bulgaria.—The treaty of peace between the Allied and Associated Powers and Bulgaria was presented to the Bulgarian mission at the French Foreign Office, Paris, on September 19, the American representative in Paris, Assistant Secretary of State Frank L. Polk, taking part in the proceedings.
The terms of the treaty are officially summarized as follows: Bulgaria cedes Western Thrace (her booty after the Balkan wars) to the Allied and Associated Powers, with the understanding that she will accept whatever disposition of this territory the powers ultimately decide upon. Bulgaria also accedes to four slight rectifications of the Serbian frontier. It is understood that Bulgaria will be guaranteed an economic outlet to the Aegean, and that the question of her securing territory in the Dobrudja of Bulgarian population will be taken up later. The army must be reduced to 20,000 within three months, and about $500,000 must be paid by way of reparation.
It will be seen that while the question of Bulgaria's Aegean outlet, upon which President Wilson was inclined to insist, remains unsolved, Bulgaria suffers less severely in the peace settlement than her Teutonic allies.
TURKEY
New Ministry Less Amenable to Allies.—The Turkish Cabinet formed under Damad Ferid Pasha to make peace with the Allies was forced to resign on October s and was succeeded by a new Ministry under General Ali Riza Pasha. The change is said to have been brought about by General Mustapha Kemal, a Nationalist and "Young Turk" leader, who had established a rival government at Erzerum and occupied the railroad center of Konieh in Asia Minor. By the shift of ministry it is possible the government may come to terms with this faction. Turkey, it is thought, sees in the unsettled policy of the Western Powers an opportunity to alter to her advantage the severe terms which have been proposed for her at Paris.
RUSSIA
Advance of Anti-Bolshevik Forces.—Despatches of October 6 reported that Polish troops, after two days' hard fighting, had captured Dvinsk, on the old Russo-Polish frontier.
General Denikin's forces, which already controlled great areas of southern Russia, were on the same date within 30 miles of the city of Orel, about 200 miles south of Moscow. Kolchak's forces, during their September offensive, advanced their front an average distance of 75 miles.
Simultaneously with this renewal of the offensive by Kolchak, and in spite of the withdrawal of Allied forces from northern Russia, the anti-Red troops in the Archangel district undertook offensive operations toward Petrograd.
In the meantime the Red government at Moscow was reported to have sent a wireless message renewing its offer to make peace on the same terms as those offered in the notorious Bullitt Report.
Germany Invited to Join Blockade.—London, October 16 (Associated Press).—The text of the note of the Supreme Council inviting Germany to participate in the blockade of Russia, as published by the Berlin Tageblatt and reprinted by The Daily Herald, shows that Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela also have been invited to initiate measures to prevent their nationals from engaging in any trade with Bolshevist Russia. The measures are thus enumerated:
First.—Refusal of permission to sail to every ship bound for a Russian Bolshevist port and the closing of all ports to ships from Bolshevist ports.
Second.—Similar regulations to be adopted with regard to all goods destined for Russia by any other route.
Third.—Passports will be refused to all persons to or from Bolshevist Russia. Isolated exceptions may be made by agreement of the allied and associated powers.
Fourth.—Measures will be taken to hinder the banks from granting credit to commercial undertakings in Bolshevist Russia.
Fifth.—Every government will refuse its nationals any facilities of intercourse with Bolshevist Russia, whether by post or wireless telegraphy.
Marshal Foch added the following instruction:
"Inform the German Government that the British and French men-of-war in the- Gulf of Finland will continue to blockade Bolshevist ports and detain from the moment they come in sight ships bound for Bolshevist ports."
The preamble to the note declares that the open enmity of the Bolsheviki is directed against all governments and that programs of international evolution, circulated by them, constitute a grave danger to the national security of all the powers. Every increase in the capacity of the Bolsheviki for resistance increases this danger, and it would be desirable that all nations wishing peace and the re-establishment of social order should unite together to resist Bolshevist Government.
For this reason, it is further declared, the allied and associated governments, after raising the blockade of Germany, have refused permission to their subjects to resume commercial relations with Bolshevist Russia.
The German Government is requested to take measures in conformity with those enumerated.—N.Y. Times, 17/10.
FAR EAST
United States Protests Against Conduct of Japanese in Siberia.—Tokio, October 9.—Orders have been issued by General Oi, commanding the Japanese forces in Eastern Siberia, directing his men to cooperate effectively with American authorities in the operation of the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
This is a result of strong representations made by the United States to the Japanese Government, claiming that in sections guarded by Japanese troops the lives and property of Americans have not been adequately protected. In the event that cooperation by the Japanese troops could not be secured, it is said, the note hinted American forces would be withdrawn from Siberia, and the reason for the step would be made public at Washington.
Reports state the American note was very frank in discussing the situation in Siberia and to have expressed the fear, by inference, that the policy of Japan there might be open to criticism as being opposed to the "new idea of international co-operation." It is understood a copy of the note of the Washington government, which was delivered in September, has been forwarded to Great Britain and France, and probably Italy and China.
Japanese officials seem inclined to minimize the gravity of the situation, and declare they have not been supporting General Semenoflf, anti-Bolshevist leader, whose activities have occasioned concern in Allied circles. They are said to express belief that the question is open to early and amicable adjustment.—N.Y. Times, 10/10.