New-York tribune., 1919-02-24
By Frederick Moore
Nea0 York Tribune
Special Gable Service

Special Gable Service
Copyright. 1919. New York Tribune Inc.l
PARIS, Feb. 23.-June 1 is the date
upon which peace with Germany is
promised the world. The council Of
ten so decided yesterday afternoon.
Arthur aBalfour. the British Foreign
Secretary, offered yesterday a series
of resolutions which wene adopted
with this end in view. But the date
has not yet been fixed for the conclu-
sion of peace with.sAustria-H hungary,
Bulgaria and Turkey, whose cases will
be taken UP separately. The last will
be the most serious, because the en-
pire as formerly constituted can no
longer exist
Colonel House visited Premier Gle
menceau this morning and obtained an
agreement later upon points designed
to speed up the labors of the peace
conference, to which Mr.. Balfour al
ready had agreed.
"he commissions and committees
dealing with matters pertaining TO
Germany have been instructed to re-
port to the council of ten on March 8
The council will then consider these
reports and have its conclusions pre-
pared upon President Wilson's return
to Paris about March 15 Premier
Lloyd George and Premier Orlando
also will have returned at that time
Truce Procedure To Be Reported
Soon thereafter Germany will be
summoned to send plenipotentiarie
who will be treated as the armistice
commissioners were-that is, they
will be handed the treaty of peace to
sign. The Germans are expected to
remain in Paris only three days.
The reparations committee of the
conference still has the most difficult
task. 1t has to decide what Germany
is able to pay. The delegations of all
five powers now disagree. There is a
fear also among the French and Ital-
ians that President Wilson will not
make the necessary capitulation on the
point of full indemnities. But all
agreed to-day to Mr.. Balfour's pro-
posals.
The four main questions for deter
mination are military, preparatory, eco
nomic and the problem of boundaries.
Germany will be left with thirty divi-
sions as a permanent army, five of
them cavalry.
Mr.. Balfour's proposals were the
result of the activity of Colonel House,
who called the attention of the com
mission early in the week to the i'm
possibility Of concluding peace prompt
ly if the method was continued of hear
ing various minor problems. such as
those offered by Denmark, Albania and
Morocco, which could be as easily con-
sidered after an agreement with Ger
many on the vital factors necessary to
q PS0NS WhiNh WIN perm tiiS uSHHOD
ilization of the various armies.
Reparation Up to Council
The Reparation Commission. Of
which Premier Hughes of Australia is
chairman. having been unable to
agree upon the principles covering the
distribution to the Allies of the vari-
Gus payments from Germany, has been
relieved of this decision, which the
Council of Ten will itself decide.
AS previously reported three differ
ent proposals were made respectively
by the French, British and American
delegates on this commission, the
French contending that reparations
from Germany should be distributed
among the Allies on what might be
called preferential system. The
Americans contendcd that rcparation
should include only actual damages de-
liberately perpetrated and no war
costs, and the British held view be-
tween the American and French views.
Although the commission could not