The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-06-05
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Germans Hand in Their Counter
Proposals for Peace to
Council of Four.
WANT TO RETAIN COLONIES
Make Many Other Demands to Which
Allies Will Not Yield-Adriatic Cues
ton Settled, Fiume Becoming In.
dependent city-Western Can
ada Strike Spreads.
BY EDWARD W. PlcKARD.

The Germans have handed in their
counter-proposals-10S printed pages
of them-with the evident and pre-
sumably justified feeling that they
won't do Germany any particular good,
II the replies Of the allies TO Brock
dorff-Rantzaus preliminary notes fur
nish any basis for prediction, it is safe
TO say that this bunch of counter-pro-
posals viii in the main be turned down
fiat by the council Of four.
As was easily foreseen, the Germans
predicate their propositions largely on
the fourteen points and on various
ideallstc utterances Of President VIII
son and others, and quotations from
these are used literally. The Ideas
OF territorial self-determination and
opportunities for economic develop
ment are played upon strongly, and
the peace terms prepared by the al
lies are declared to be In contradiction
to a just peace and dominated by the
''might greater than right" principle.
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Upper Sllesia. and declines TO give up
Ahe Saar basin. Posen and other terri
tory unless a pleblsclte Is held. Dan
zig, she says must be a free port and
must not be in any way controlled by
the Poles. but II Is agreed that the
vistula river may be neutralzed as
far as the Polish border. She agrees
10 surrender her warships and to dis
solve the rest OF her navy, but de-
mands merchant shipping In exchange,
saying this Is necessary to her com
mercial life She accepts the limita-
tIon Of the army TO 100000 men, but
wants more than that for the present
no maintain order. She offers to pay
an indemnity of S5,OOO,OOO,OO0 in gold
by 1926 and 10 make annual payments
thereafter up to a total Of $25OOOOOO,-
900. but puts I'm a counter-claim OF
about S33OO.OOO,OOO for damages from
the allied blockade.
The Germans refuse 10 admit that
Germany IS alone 10 blame for the war
and its damage, and take a slap at
Italy and ROumanla which they as.
sert, entered the conflict for terrific.
rial conquest. As for personal respon-
lslbllty, they declare they will not sur
render the former kalscr and others
for trial by the allies, asserting they
can be tried only by Germans or neu-
trails.
Return Of Germany's colonies is de-.
manded, though II Is agreed that Ger.
many might be willIngC to act as man.
datOry for them under the league OF
nations, and the right Of Germany 20
enter the league at once on an equal.
1ty with other nations Is asserted. All
occupied territories. say the counter
proposals. must be evacuated within
six months In claiming the return OF
the colonies the Germans call atten.
Mon TO the fact that an impartial set
element OF all colonial claims was
promised In number five OF the four.
teen points. This reads.
"Free, open-mInded. and absolutely
Impartial adjustment Of all colonial
j ElulAiiot UuH'h IiiNb q NAiI'A Nb''A fuil''
OF the principle that in determining al
such questions OF sovereignty the in
,terests Of the population concerned
must have equal weight with the equl
table claims Of the government whose
title is 20 be determined"
Since Germany's administration o
her colonial possessions, especial!
those IN Africa, was VIGOROUSLY op
pressive 70 the natives, II Is hare
10 see how she can gain much by al
appeal 70 an agreement that the inter
ests Of the people concerned shall b
given full weight.
Germany's claim for damages due &
The blockade Is based on the allege,