Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-10
COME RENEE MAY
/ ASK BELGIUM To
HANDLE KAISER
Decision Also Reached That
Germans Must Pay Five Bill
lion Dollars Within the Next
Two Years,

Paris, April 3 (by The Associated
Press.) 1.-THE responsibility of the Ger
man emperor for the war and the
means for bringing him to trial by one
of the allied governments. probably
Belgium have been definitely deter
mined upon by the council of four.
This follows the definite decision on
the terms of reparation for war dam
ages, whereby $1,000, 100000 must be
paid within the next two years and an
inter-allied commission assess the re-
manning damage for period of thirty
years beginning May /, 1921.
Thus, two of the great obstacles
which stood in the path of the rapid
attainment of peace have been re-
moved within the last twenty-four
hours, and the period of extreme ten
sion over the inaction and the failure
to secure tangible results is succeeded
by revived confidence over the great
advance made towards a permanent
settlement
How far these results are due to the
intimations conveyed by the summon
ing to France of the United States
transport George Washington by
President Wilson is only conjectural.
But it is at least a coincidence that the
main difficulties began to dissolve
from the time that this decision be-
came known.
The exact nature of these difficult
ties is not disclosed. Friends of the
president maintain that they We're
largely of a minor character, not in
volving large principles, though the
presidents adherence to his fourteen
points" as the rigid limitation of the
scope of action appears to have fun
all through the deliberations during
the tense period of the last few days.
While the tension has been greatly
reduced. il h not entirely removed as
mltafi dep. p.ptis on the continuation of
% dass Ioss' ssNn Es)te4sta S{g gos.Eeit..
ing obstacles. notably the Sarre VAL
ley, the Rhine frontier, the Adriatic
issue and a number of lesser issues
which are still short of final agree
ment.
Agreement Compromise.
The agreement on responsibilities
for the war is understood to have
been a compromise between divided
reports presented by the commission
man. There was a practical agree
ment on the general responsibility of
the German emperor for bringing on
the war, but division occurred on
whether It was feasible to bring him
to Justice before an international tri-
bunal
The French and British view favor
ed tribunal. but the American view,
it is understood. favored moral indict-
ment without recourse to prosecution,
owing to the lack of international law
sas basis for trial before an inter
national court.
Belgium, on which the war fell
first and heaviest IS reported to have
taken a view much similar to that of
the United States, while Japan and
Italy were partially in accord with
the American view.
1t was owing to these divergent
viewpoints that the council devised
new plan, whereby one of the allied
nations, probably Belgium, would in
itiate prosecution against the former
emperor and others responsible for.
the breach of treaties, the invasion of
territory and the obstruction directed
against this country and leading to
more general spread of the war.
The exact nature of the agreement is
not disclosed, but the foregoing is be-
lieved to cover the main lines.
The text as finally approved on rep
arations specifies that the enemy
countries must admit responsibility
for all loss and damage to all the as
sociated nations and their citizens
caused by the unjustifiable aggression.
but, in view of the inability of the
enemy countries fully to recompense
these losses the clause states, an in
ter-allied commission will assess the
losses on a Just basis for thirty years,
beginning May l, 1921. with an in
itial payment of $1,000, 100000.
Germany is to pay the entire cost of
the commission and ~taff during the
thirty years of operations. The first
payment is to be credited against Ger
many's obligation to pay for the
maintenance of the allied troops in
the occupied regions, and the second
priority is for the payment of food
iaf ,tcb tn