Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-12


The council of four at It's meet
ing today decided TO refer the
German notes on labor and war
prisoners to experts for eOnsid-
GRAFTON instead of answering
them at once as il did with the
first two communications from
the German delegates.
The council of four of the peace
conference met this morning and
took up consideration of the re-
plies to be made 10 the latest Ger
man notes, those regarding labor
matters and prisoners of war
The peace conference leaders are
reported by the newspapers to
have decided yesterday upon the
terms of the reply to be made to
the two notes sent to President
Clemenceau of the peace confer
ence on Saturday evening by Count
Won Brockdorff- -Rantzau.
Count Offers. Suggestions.
The first of these notes asked
that there be a reciprocal policy
adopted as to the reparation of
prisoners and requested that the
details of the conference be placed
in the hands of commission. In
his second note the head of the
German peace delegation advanced
a counter-projeCt as to the interna-
tfonal labor legislation.
According to the newspapers, the
basis of the second note is a labor
,borto,- ingpirad hy tho pnufaranga
of Leeds and Berne, and they argue
that the purpose is to create among
Socialists an opinion favorable to
Germany by putting in direct col
laboration the working classes and
the present government Of that
country.
Repatriation of Prisoners.
Count Won Brockdorfl- -RantZau.
German foreign minister and chief
of the German peace delegation, in
addressing a note to Premier Glen
enceau relative to the repatriation
of prisoners asks that the details of
the transfer be entrusted 10 COM
mission.
The German foreign minister
states that the German peace dele
CATION has noted with satisfaction"
that the draft of the treaty recog-
nizes in principle the repatriation
of German war and civilian prison
ers with great expedition and says
that special commissions might
carry on direct oral discussions
which would include all belligerent
states, it being pointed out that even
during hostilities this has proved
most effective way of solving dtnt-
culties.
Deal With Labor Problems
In his note dealing with labor
questions Count Won Brockdorff
Rantzau says that the German gov
ernment agrees with the allied and
associated governments that the
greatest attention must be paid TO
these problems.
Referring to the draft OF an
agreement on international labor
compiled by the German govern
ment and proposed by the German
league of nations, the note says:
In the interest of all of human
ity, TO put these principles every
where into practice. the acceptance
of German delegation proposal is
certainly requisite. We consider it
necessary that all states should
join in this agreement, even if they,
do not belong to the league of ma
tions.
In order TO assure the workers
for whom these proposed improve
ments are destined. cooperation IN
these principles, the Ger
man delegates think it is necessary,
to convoke representatives of the
national organizations OF labor
unions in all the contracting parties
to a conference at Versailles. even
during the peace negotiations, to de-
liberate and make decisions on in
labor law.
Meets Decisions as Rasis.
II considers il would be advan-
tageous that the proceedings OF this
conference be based on decisions
reached at the International Trades
Union conference held at Berne
from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9, 1919 We ap-
pend a copy of these decisions
which have been accepted by the
of trades union
organizations in Bohemia, Bulgaria.
Denmark, Germany, Great Britain.
France, Greece, Holland. Italy, Can
ada. Norway Austria. Switzerland.
Sweden, Spain and Hungary. We
have been charged to do this by the
unions of Germany"