Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-04-18
PEACE IS near,
SAYS WILSON
Enemy Called to Sign Treaty,
Says Statement by
Big Four.
SET APRIL rs AT VERSAILLES
Foe Must Pay $4,000, GOO, 900 Gold and
$2o,ooo,ooo,ooo in Bonds-Germans
Say They Won't Give
Up Saar.

Paris, April ia statement by
President Wilson in behalf of the
Council of Four says the questions of
peace are so near complete solution
that they will be quickly and finally
drafted.
The announcement was contained in
an official bulletin, which added that
the German plenipotentiaries had been
invited to meet at Versailles April %.
The statement follows:
'In view of the fact that the ques-
lions which must be settled in the
peace with Germany have been
brought so near to complete solution
that they can now quickly be put
through the final process of drafting,
those who have been most constantly
in conference about them have decid-
ed to advise that the German pleni-
potentiaries be invited to meet the
representatives of the associated bel
ligerent nations at Versailles on
April %.
This does not mean that the many
other questions connected with the
general peace settlement will be in
terrupted or that their consideration
which has long been underway, will
be retarded.
ION the contrary it is expected that
rapid progress will now be made with
those questions, so that they may also
presently be expected to be ready for
final settlement.
1T is hoped that the questions most
directly affecting Italy, especially the
Adriatic questions, can now be brought
to a speedy agreement.
"The Adriatic question will be
given for the time precedence over
other questions and pressed by con-
tinual study to its final stage.
"The settlements that belong espe-
cially to the treaty with Germany will
in this way be got out of the way at
the same time that all other settle
ments are being brought to a COM
plete formulation.
ut is realized that though the
process must be followed, all the ques-
tons Of the present great settlement
are parts of a single whole"
Indemnity is Fixed.
One hundred billion gold marks
($25, 900 ,O0O00O) is the amount Ger
many must pay the allied and associ-
ated governments for losses and dam
age caused in the war; plus other bill
lions to be determined by a special
commission on which Germany is to
be represented.
This final conclusion has been re-
duced to writing after weeks of ne
gotiation which took a wide range
and involved frequent changes and
notifications. The payment of the
1OO,OOO,0OO, gold marks is to be di-
vided into three amounts, as follows:
First, twenty billions ($5,OO0,00O,-
0OO) within two years.
Second, forty billions ($1O,OO0,OO0.-
OOO) during 80 years beginning in 1921
Third, forty billions ($10,00O,000,-
OOO) when a commission shall deter
mine how it shall be done.
Pay 10000, 100000 in Bonds.
Germany must pay the $5,0O0,O0O,-
600 before May 1, 1921. She must
also issue Immediately to the allied
and associated governments $20,0OO,
100000 of interest-be bearing bonds.
The interest on the bonds until 1926
will be either 2 or 3 per cent and after
that date will be 5 per cent.
The bonds will be payable in in
stallments during Is years. They prob
ably will be kept in control of CEN
trail commission Of the allied and as
ISOLATED governments, so they shall
not be marketed in quantities sufficient
to break the price.
The exact amount of the issue will
be determined later according to the
kind of money in which it must be
paid. If the money is marks, the sum
will be larger than $2O,OOOO00,000 at
the rate of exchange before the war,
but that is the general nominal sum.
The mixed commission of repre-
sentatives of the allied and associated
governments and of Germany, which
shall report before May 1, 1921, will
determine what additional damages
must be paid.
Indications are that the Germans
will be given opportunity to discuss
the peace terms before the congress-
but that no extended discussion will
be permitted, two weeks being suggest
ed as the limit for the sessions at YER
sailles.
Won't Give Up Saar7
Berlin, April 15.-The German gov
eminent is firmly resolved to refuse to
discuss at the peace congress the flu
ture allegiance of the Saar territory,
according to Berlin news agency on
what it terms competent authority.
The government will "resolutely re-
ject any proposal to tear the Saar ter
ritory from the empire by means of a
general plebiscite."