Evening star., 1919-04-09
SHIELDS OUTLETS
FOR NEW NATIONS
Peace Conference Body for
Freedom of Transport
Through Enemy Countries.
ACTS UPON WATERWAYS
BY the Associated Press.

PARIS. April S-A report on regu-
lations and restrictions to be imposed
upon communications in enemy states
in order that newly created nations in
central Europe may have access to
the sea has been completed for the
peace conference by the commission on
the regulation of ports. waterways and
railroads. Freedom of transportation
through Germany and Austria and
equality of treatment in ports and har-
borS has been provided for, as has been
the international regulation of traffic
over the Rhine and Danube rivers
The report does not approach the
problem of international regulation of
great waterways outside the domains
of present enemy states, nor does 1t
deal with the NiStula. the great river
artery of northern Europe, since the
commission when formulating its con-
clusions, was not aware whether the
peace settlement would kive the navi-
gable reaches of the Vistula entirely
to new Poland or leave the mouth. with
the city of DanZig, in German hands.
The regulation of transportation over
the Rhine and Danube forms probably
the most important part of the report,
which provides for the entrance of
France Switzerland and some pon-par-
tisan states to the present Mannheim
convention between Germany and Hol-
land covering the navigation of the
Rhine.
Commissions to Rule.
The European commission control
ling the mouths of the Danube will be
continued, representatives of present
enemy states being excluded from 1t,
and a similar international commission
will be established Professionally for
the upper Danube This will last until
new general Danube convention is
established.
A new international convening COW
ering the navigation of the Elbe and
Oder rivers is recommended to pro-
tect the interests of Poland and
Czechoslovakia and give them free
dom of navigation without discrimi-
mating duties, down through German
territory to the North and Baltic seas.
These states would be further given
free port privileges at certain North
German harbors in order that they may
be enabled to develop their export
and import commerce. a regulation
applying to Saloniki after the Balkan
war by VIII IN Serbia benefited being
taken as the model for the plan.
The report recommends that a pledge
be exacted of Germany in the peace
treaty to maintain unimpaired the
free zones at Hamburg and other ports
under conditions as they existed be-
fore the war.
Cares for Czechoslovakia.
To provide a southern outlet for the
trade of Czechoslovakia, the report
that the new state be
given the right to run its own trains
designated railways in Ausria-Hun-
gary, without, however. making any
provision to insure further transit
Jugoslavia or Italian terri
tory lying between what is left Aus
tria-Hungary and the Adriatic.
An attempt to introduce some gen.
eral regulation of this problem broke
down against opposition within the
Recommendation is made
in the report, however, for an exten-
sion of the present Bern railway con-
ventiop providing for the interchange
Of traffice on continental railways,
which expires January 1 next. until
Curb Upon Hungary.
Regulations for the Standardization
of railway gauges and the inter-
of equipment are recon-
mended. 1t is further suggested that
for a limited time after peace the
pre-war railway rates to Antwerp and
the Adriatic be continued in force so
that Hungary might he prevented
from an attempt to divert heavy traffic
of native origin through those ports
in retaliation for onerous peace terms.
Freedom of navigation is prescribed
for all states along all coasts except
Tor purely coastal traffic and in rivers
and harbors of present states.
The commission in conclusion recon-
mends that the league of nations be
the future arbitrator and
regulator OF all these problems with
the right to take up and revise pres
ent regulations at any time.