The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-03-11
WAR LORD OUT
OF EXISTENCE
Military Strength of Germany
to Be Less Than
Switzerland.
CONSUMPTION B A N N E D
Terms of Treaty Ready for
Enemy About March 20.
Concise Event.


Paris. March 1o.-(s:10 p.m.)--(A'
PD-Military Germany will go out OF
existence as the result OF the adop-
ton by the supreme council tonight
of the military terms cf German dis
armament as they will go into the
peace treaty. These terms provide
for a sweeping reduction of the Ger
man military establishment down to
100 900 men with 1900 officers, the
army to be recruited by the vo.dn-
teer system for the period of twelve
years. The effect of this is to limit
Germany's military strength to less
than the number of men Switzerland
has In her army.
Other provisions in the military
terms limit the arms and munitions
Germany may possess to quantity
sufficient for 100000. and all the re-
mainder must be delivered over or
destroyed. The German forts along
the Rhine also must be destroyed.
The imperial general staff Is abol-
ished. as the result of reducing the
force.
Discussion OF the subject was re-
day, the basis for the debate being
Marshal Foch's report on Premier
Lloyd Georges proposal to reduce
Germany's armed force from 100000,
as had been suggested, to 100000 men
and to substitute voluntary for COM
pulsory service.
Foch Favored Change.
Marshal Foch favored the change,
as the conscription plan providing
for 100000 men serving one-year
terms would have given Germany a
trained army of 100000 men iii ten
years.
AS against this Mr. Lloyd George
proposed to fix the enlistment term
at twelve years. Marshal Foch en-
bodied this In bis. report. WHICH pro,
posed an army OF 10000 men, bu'
the council finally adopted an amend
ment further reducing this figure ia
100000.
One OF Premier Lloyd Georges
main purposes in substituting vol
untary service for the conscription
system was TO pave the way for the
disappearance Of the conscription
system throughout Europe, as 1t was
believed the effect of the abolition OF
the system in Germany would be that
the other European countries gen.
orally would follow it, thus ending the
menace of large standing armies and
their provocation to warfare.
The council already has adopted
the naval terms OF the treaty, ex-
cept for a few reserved provisions,
which will be discussed tomorrow.
The progress made with the work
of framing the peace treaty insures
the completion of the task by March
20.
First Rough Draft.
The first rough draft win be in
readiness when President Wilson ar
rives in France Thursday. and the
revision will be concluded before the
goth. II is the present purpose
of the peace conferees to call the Ger
mans to Versailles soon after March
20. probably from March % to March
25. The document then will be de-
livered to the German delegates and
in case they are not prepared to sign
it at once they will be given the op-
portunity to return to Germany to
consider it and return for the formal
signing at Versailles.
This plans obviates the necessity
of holding sessions for debate at Ver-
sailles and restricts the functions 10
be conducted with the Germans to
the delivery of the document and
their return for its signature or such
other action as they desire to take.
1t is known definitely that Count
Won Bernstorff. former German am
bassador to the United States, will
not be one of the German delegates
at Versailles.
The presence of Premier Lloyd
George in Paris is permitting Of daily
conferences OF the premiers of the
powers as a sort of steering commit
tee to direct the course OF the main
work OF the conference. The session
this morning was attended by Pre-
miers Clemenceau and Lloyd George
and Col. House. representing Presi-
dent Wilson.
Premier Orlando. of Italy. will join
the other premiers tomorrow and.
when President Wilson arrives, II is
expected these conferences of the
government heads gradually will take
the place of the council of the
great powers, which experience
has shown to give too much
time to speeches. The conferences
of the premiers. on the other hand.
are providing an effective executive
organization for the rapid discharge
Of business. This rapidity insures the
drafting Of the peace within the