The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-03-08

eminent for some time yet The allied
nations agreed to it but the United
States reserved the right to object to
provisions for the demolition of the
defenses of the Kiel canal and Helgo-
land and their naturalization and to
the transfer of the German cables to
the allies. The reasons for objecting
were not made public
The commission that is working on
the question of representation has
been making swift progress. 1t Is re.
ported that the amount Germany will
be called on to pay has been reduced
about so per cent from the original
total of the demands, but this fact
will not afford the Huns much c0iiso.
lation, The cut was made because It
was recognized that the greater the
indemnity the greater must be the op-
portunity given Germany to do bust
ness in order to get the money to pay
the debt. The British urge that the
entire cost of the war should be as
sessed against the Germans; the.
French agree with this, but want set
Element first for damages In violation
of international law and payment of
the rest if and when possible; the
Americans have held that PREPARATION,
should be demanded only for wanton
destruction. The compromise plan that
will be adopted probably will be such
that GeTmany's fn1ustrfaf reeuyefy
shall not be too swift, at the expense
of France and Belgium. The matter
of the Franco-German frontier was
still unsettled last week, but it seemed
likely that the French might be per-
mitted to occupy the left bank of the
Rhine until the idemnity is paid,
without anneXing the Rhenish prov
inces. No German field or fixed forth
fications will be permitted In that ter
ritory. The Rhenish provinces may be
formed into a separate buffer state.
The supreme council decided last
week to establish an intermediate zone
in Pennsylvania between the Roumani-
an and Hungarian troops, and also
heard the claims of Armenia.
One question over which the allied
nations are still at wide variance is
that of the disposition of the surren-
dered German war vessels. The Brit
ish are determined that they shall not
be in the future part of the naval
armament of the world and seem to
prefer that they be sunk or broken up.
The French are equally firm in their
demand that the vessels be divided
among the allies in proportion to their
naval losses, and in this they have the
support of Italy and some of the
smaller nations. France declares the
other nations can do as they please
with the ships that fall to their share,
but those France gets will become part
of her navy, that is necessary to po-
lice the seas and protect her colonies.
She cites the formidable naval building
program of the American government
as evidence that the most pacific ma
lions have and intend to maintain
navies.
While her conquerors are settling
her boundaries and future relations
with the rest Of the world, Germany Is
enjoying full measure of the anarchy
and civil strife that she wished on
Russia. The disturbance in Bavaria
which resulted in the murder of Pre-
mier Eisner and others by reaction
aries was quelled by vigorous meas
ures adopted by the government, and
the latter fell more than ever into the
hands of the radicals. In Saxony a
new revolt was started by the Sparta
cans, who were Joined by the miners
and Industrial workers of the Halle
region, and the government sent a
large force of troops to stop the
strikes and riots. Radical as are the
Spartacans. they are too mild to suit
the real anarchists, and the latter are
reported to have begun counter-reyo-
luton that is centered In Dusseldorf,
which city was in their hands,
That the Ebert government is
alarmed by the spread Of the Sparta
can movement Is evidenced by its dis
tracted efforts to meet and suppress
IT,. Military Governor Noske thinks he
can put it down by force of arms and
urges that the national assembly au=
thorize the raising of 100000 addi-
tional militia. But President Ebert
himself. 1t IS said, fayors the extraor-
binary course of seeking to conciliate
the radicals by establishing national
soviet MS the lower legislative branch
of The government Noske also wanted