The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-04-17
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.


Most of the great problems confront
ing the peace conference were settled
last week by the big Four"-perhaps.
That is to say, at the close of the week
they were settled, but before this
reaches the reader they may be all un-
settled again. Such has been the way
of the peacemakers in the past. How
ever, If there is not agreement ON the
vital questions mighty soon, there Is
some reason to believe President VIII
son will withdraw from the delibera-
lions and come home. He startled the
conference and the world by ordering
his transport, the George Washington,
made ready for another trip to Europe,
and asking when 1t might be expected
there. Some of the Paris papers de-
clared Mr.. Wilson was thus trying to
force the French delegates to mitigate
their demands; pessimists saw in the
action the probability of hopeless dis
agreement; optimists said it meant the
treaty was nearly ready for submission
TO the Germans.
The theory Of the optimists was
borne out by dispatches late in the
week stating that the Big Four had
agreed: That William Hohenzollern
and others responsible for breach of
treaty and of rules of war must stand
trial, probably before a Belgian court
but that the death penalty should not
be imposed on the former kaiser; that
France shall be given control of the
mines of the Saar valley, but shall not
be permitted to annex any of that ter
ritory and that commission shall reg
Iulate strikes by miners there; that
Germany must make AN initial pay
ment OF $5,OOO,OO0,0OO reparation in
1921, after which commission shall
assess yearly indemnity.
The Rhine frontier the ultimate dis
position of Danzig, the Italian claims
to Fiume and the Dalmatian coast and
some lesser matters remained to be
settled at the time these dispatches
Ayere sent. That agreement on these
questions was believed to be imminent
was indicated by the fact that the COM
mission to prepare for the signing Of
the peace treaty at Versailles was busy
making the necessary arrangements
for that momentous occasion. Premier
Paderewski urged before the council
of four that Poland should be given
Danzig and the coal fields of Teschen,
Silesia, but the belief was that this
matter, as well as that of the Rhine
land. would be settled in conformity
with Mr.. Wilson's Ia points, his abso-
lutte adherence to which he again de-
clared that, of course, would preclude
the annexation of enemy territory.
How the Italian claims would be set
tied there was no intimation.
According to reports, Mr.. Lansing's
opposition to the British and French
desire that the former kaiser should
be tried by an international tribunal
resulted in the compromise plan stated
above The Americans, II was said,
were in favor only of moral lndlct-
ment without recourse to prosecution,
owing to the lack of an international |
law covering the case. The japanese
representative supported this view,
The PREPARATIONS clause specifies that
the enemy countries must admit their
responsibility for all losses ard dam
age to allied and associated nations
and their citizens due to unjustihable
aggression; also that Germany is to
pay the expenses Of the commission
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