The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-04-10
GERMANY MUST
PAY |NDEMN|TIES
AT Rate of Five Billion Dollars
and Balance in Thirty
Years
KAISER RESPONSIBLE WAR

Paris, April 10-The. RESPONSE
bility of the German Emperor for
the war and the means for bringing
him to trial by one of the allied
governments, probably Belgium,
have been definitely determined
upon by the Council Of Four. This
follows the definite decision on the
terms Of reparation for war damag-
es, whereby $4,000, 900 must be
paid within the next two years, and
an intersallied commission assess
the remaining damage for period
of 80 years, beginning May 1, 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
| tension over the inaction and fail
ure to secure tangible results is
| succeeded by revived confidence ov-
| er the great advance made towards
a permanent settlement.
| How far these results are due to
| the intimations conveyed by the
summoning to France of the United
States transport George Washington
by President Wilson is only conjec-
tural. But it is at least a coincf-
| dence that the main difficulties be-
gan to dissolve from the time that
this decision became known.
The exact nature of these difficult
ties are not disclosed. Friends of
the President maintain they were
largely of minor character, not
/ involving large principles, though
the Presidents adherence to his
iesfourteen points as the rigid linn
: itation of the scope of action ap-
} pears to have run all through the
} deliberations during the Tense peri
cd of the last few days.
While the tension has been great
ly reduced, it is not entirely remov-
: ed, as much depends on the contin-
uation of progress with respect te
the remaining obstacles, notably the
Saar Valley, the Rhine frontier, the
u Adriatic issues which are still short
) Of final agreement.
The agreement ON responsibilities
) for the war is understood to havt
1 been a compromise between divid
: ed reports presented by the com
3 mission OF which Secretary LANSING
= is chairman. There was a practi
cal agreement on the general re
sponsibility Of the German Emper
I or for bringing on the war, but di
# vision occurred on whether 1t wa
d feasible to bring him to justice be
d fore an international tribunal.
h The French and British view ia
: vored a tribunal, but the America
y view, it is udersteod, favored mora
y Indictment without recourse t
e prosecution, owing to the lack of a.
?, international law as basis for tria
n before an international court.
II Belgium ON which the war fe1
l. first and heaviest, is reported t
y have taken view much similar t
L that of the United States, while Js
K pan and Italy were partially in az
D., cord with the American. view.
eI 1t was owing to these diverger
viewpoints that the council devise
l. a new plan, whereby one of the a
Is blied nations, probably Belgium
h would initiate prosecution agains
IS the former Emperor and others n
g sponsible for the breach of treatie
t the invasion of territory and tn
ID destruction directed against thi'
E. coputry and leading to a more gel
~ era1 spread of the war. The exa'
ID nature of the agreement is not di
closed, but the foregoing is believe
to cover the main lines.
The text, as finally approved o
* rersrations speeches that the enen
countries must admit responsib1:
'e t. for all loss and damage to allie
ly sEu associated nations and their ci
Of, liens caused by the unjustifiable 81
h Grsssion. But, in view OF the in;
Sc u y of the enemy countries full
toS mpensate these losses. tn
ID clauA states, an interallied cor
,h mission will assess the loss on ju
i'd basis for thirty years. beginnir
* May 1, 1921, with an initial pa;
9. ment of $4,000. .000. 900. German
I'd is to pay the entire cost of the con
u mission and star during the thir
years Of Operations. The first pa