The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-02-28
That Only Way to Protect
the Small Ma
tions.
may INCLUDE RAILWAYS
Is One Of the Most 1mpor-
tant Matters Before
Peace Conference.
(Ry HAROLD e. BEcHToL.)
fEhirnnnan Manarnr nf NJ n IA

PARIS, E4ance, Feb. 2S.-'Inter-
national Regime Of Ports, Waterways
and Railways.,'
It sounds deadly -uninteres!sng.
But that phrase holds one OF the
most important Of all the steps which
the peace conference IS taking toward
the new era Of closer, freer relations
between nations.
Unjust local control Of information
al rivers and railroads and ''sewed-
lup" ports have to be wiped out before
there will be the free tntercommuni-
cation, the free access to the seas for
everybody, 80 necessary to the success
Of the League Of Nations and to world
peace.
For years the great Danube was
under control Of the international
Danube Commission, free from local
influence, which simply ran the
river. It fixed and collected tolls from
which It paid its expenses and it op.
Grated patrcl ships, lighthouses, tugs
and even hospitals. The Rhine had q
similar International arrangement.
Rivers TO Be Controlled.
Il Is probable that the Rhine and
Danube arrangements viii be cons,Vy-
ed and extended to other rivers, such!
as the Vistula, Pruth, Elbe and
Scheldt illustrates the need for such,
control. It is. the outlet for Antwerp.
one Of the greatest ports IN Europe,
but the mouth Of the river Is In Dutch
territory. This Scheldt question is,
second In Importance only to repatas
ton In Belsiutn's eyes.
Wholly national railways means
constantly changing fares and rates
and control. It's . tasteful nuisance
to be changing train crews at every.
boundary especially when. trains are
running through small countries and
the chances are that there will be q
lot more small countries before the
peace is finally made.
International control OF certain rail-
ways, at least, is going to be vital In
the new era, peacers say.
What is to be done about ports is
perhaps the most difficult Of all the.
questions connected with internation-
al transportation control. The whole
port question received its greatest re-
cognition from President Wilson'S
principle Of free access to the seas.
Problem Of Small States
Here again the new states to be
formed will add to the problem as
well as to the need for an applica-
ton to the principle. Some Of the little
nations seem likely to have no coast
OF no port.
TO leave them In such position
would be to threaten their economic
life at birth. Ports now most common.
ly mentioned for early internationali-
zation are Constantinople, Danzig,
Trieste, Fiume, Antwerp and Durazzo
in addition to the Dard nelles and such.
international straits.
That the Bagdad railway will be
placed under International control
goes without saying.
On the broad question the powers
are in complete accord and the priu-
ciple is almost certain to be incorpor-
ated in the peace treaty. But the COM
mission which is to work out the de-
tails has a long Job ahead.
Peace commissio incline to.
the view that the ultimate solution
will be the actual operation Of the
necessary rivers, ports and railroads
by commission, accountable to the
League OF Nations.