New-York tribune., 1919-05-13

the details of the transfer be intrustee
to commissions.
The German Foreign Minister say!
the German peace delegation has "notet
with satisfaction" that the draft of tht
. treaty recognizes in principle the re
patriation of German war and civilian
prisoners with great expedition, ant
says that special commissions nigh
carry on direct oral discussions, which
would include all belligerent states. il
being pointed out that even durine
hostilities this has proved a most eff
fective way of solving difficulties.
The note says that this work shoult
be much easier, now that the war is
over, and would remove differences o1
conception or lack of clearness on par.
ticular points, such as legal concep.
tions in individual countries. The Ger
man delegation. it is said, considers ii
| indispensable that those war and CT
william prisoners detained or undergoing
punishment for other than disciplinary
offences should in principle be included
among those to be uncopditionally re-
| patriated.
Urges Better Treatment
Regarding war and civilian prison
crs of Allied and associated powers in
its hands," the note says, Germany
appears selfevident to the German del
egation, therefore, that on grounds of
fairness certain alleviations in the
treatment of prisoners should be
agreed upon, pending their return"
The note then proceeds:
"In a one sided manner, some feel,
the stipulations have been made in
favor of the Allied and associated gov
ernments. For instance, those regard
~ 01,%x
the search for missing objects and the
care of. graves might be cited. 1t is
assumed that in these questions a de-
mand for complete reciprocity is
founded on general human rights"
The note then refers to a number
of minor points and proposes that
deliberations by commissions should
be begun speedily to clear sup prelimi
naries in readiness for the time when
shipping and similar difficulties may
be solved and the removal of the pris-
oners may be possible.
Wants Prisoners Clothed
1t alludes to the Importance to Ger
many that the prisoners return home
under orderly conditions, insuring
their reinstatement into economic life
with the greatest possible dispatch, and
says that this seems only possible if
everything is done to "raise the moral
and physical state of those returning"
Since -Germany's economic position
prevents her by her own strength from
providing the requisite guarantees the
delegation suggests that the delibera
tions of the commissions might extend
to the question of how far it would be
possible on the part of the Allied and
associated governments to help Ger
many in the matter, and, for example,
in return for the repayment of the cost
to provide the prisoners with new out
fits, underclothing, civilian suits and
boots, before their return.
The note concludes: Accept, Herr
President, the expression of my most
particular esteem"
Labor Question Important
In his note dealing with labor ques-
tions, Count won rockdorff-Rantzau
says that the German government
agrees with the Allied and associated
governments that the greatest atten-
ton must be paid to these problems.
"Internal peace and human progress
depend on how these questions are
mands for social justice repeatedly
drawn up in this connection by work
ers of all lands only partly find in
dorsement in principle in this section
of the Allied governments draft of
the peace terms. These high demands,
have for the most part, already been
carried out in an admittedly exem-
p1ary fashion in the German Empire"
Referring to the draft of an agree
ment on international labor compiled
by the German government and pro-
posed by the German league of ma
tions, the note says: "In order, in the
interest of all of humanity, to put
these principles everywhere into
practice, the acceptance of the Ger
man delegations 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 nations.
Suggests Labor Conference
an order to assure the workers, for
whom these proposed Improvements
these principles the German delega-
tion considers it necessary to convoke
representatives of the national organi-
cations of the labor unions of all the
contracting parties to conference at
Versailles, even during peace negotia-
tions, to deliberate and make decisions
on international labor law. 1t consd-
ers it would be advantageous that the
proceedings Of this conference be
based on decisions reached at the In
ternational Trades Union Conference
held at Berne from February to Feb
ruary 9, 1919. We append copy of
these decisions, which have been &C
cepted by the representatives of trades
union organizations in Bohemia, Bull
garia, Denmark. Germany, Great Brit
ain, France, Greece, Holland, Italv.
Canada, Norway, Austria. Sweden
Switzerland, Spain and Hungary. We
have been charged to do this by the
unions of Germany"
The decisions reached at the inter
national trades union conference held
in Berne parallel with the international
Socialist conference between Febru4ry
and last, include the demand for
the international enactment of an
elght-hour day, with thirty-sx hours'
uninterrupted rest every week; COM
pulsory accident and unemployment in
surance; prohibition of night work for
women workers; prohibition of employ
ment of children below fifteen in any
trade, and six-hour day for youths
between fifteen and eighteen; inter
national legislation to protect the rights
and standards Of seamen, to applv
equally to all nations and to be SUPER
vised by special commissions created
for the purpose.
1t was resolved that these decisions
should be submitted to the peace CON
ference, with the demand they be in
corporated in the peace treaty.
The leading figures of the conference