Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-03-29
ITALY DEMANDS
F|UME BY TREATY
Peace Delegates Threaten to
Withdraw From Confer
enCe il Refused.
MAY DELAY SETTLEMENT.
ENJOYS Say Hungarian Seaport Must
Be Assigned to Italy Contemporaries
ously With Signing Of Peaee-Foeh
Wants French Defense on Rhine.

Paris The Italian delegation to
decided To withdraw from the con.
ference unless Fiumc is assigned t.
italy cuntcmporancuusly with the con
cluSion of peace.
The Rhine Is our only good line OF
defense do not demand anncNa.
ton. hut II we do not secure that mill
tHry frontier we will have fought in
vain" IL statement made by Mar
shnl Foch, quoted in an interview
printed In the llnlln.
III discussing the last days of the
war the mnrShal said:
eli was the wonderful soldiers who
gave us victory Ny only merit was
10 hav" had faith and never To have
drSpaircd We signed the armiSticc
In spite of the certainty of crushing
one more man and because 1t gave US
everything necessary to II French vic.
tory
President Wilson. DR. Clemcnccau
and David Lloyd George are holding n
series of meetings tn adjust differ
cnccs among them. These constitute
some Of the larger questions pending
nOw-reparations for war losses and
the Franco-irrman frontier. These
questions. for the moment. have AS
suned paramount importance. even
taking place ahead of the league of
nations
Col T.. NJ House told British CORE
spondents he was convinced the peace
treaty, including the league Of mn
tons covenant would he ready for
signature on March %. adding he
would "bc disappointed II the Ger
mans were not ut Versailles three
weeks hence"
The chief issue OF the question Of
reparatlOns is not what Germany
should pay, but what she can pay The
commissions. which have studied the
subject gradually, have reduced tho
claims TO n total OF about $4,000 .OO0,-
OOO.
One proposal has been to spread the
payment over n period OF 40 years. On
this basis the principal. with interest.
would amount To 100000 100000 at
the end Of that time. Against this
proposal the commission has esti-
mated all the available wealth and re-
sources Of Germany NJ home and
abroad The American view Is TINT
Si2, OOO. 100000 is the utmost that can
he expected. this being estimated
roughly as follows:
German resources outside that cOun.
try, $1,000, 900 900. represented In mer.
chant ships. railways and mines in Al
sace-Iorrninc. coal and iron deposits
In the Sarre valley. foreign securities
and government property in the erst-
while German colonies. Seven bill
lions OF this property, the commission
estimates. Is privately owned and the
remainder owned by the government
or private resources Germany has
property valued nj Sl.000.0O0. 900
Of that sum In the
United States and $1,000 100000 In
other countries
All the outside property Is regarded
10y the commission rs subject 10 con.
iscniion by the allied and associated
powers. Should this view prevail II
would yield Sso0o. Oo00O0 for the i'm
mediate liquidation Of war losses
This would leave $4,000. OOO,OOO TO ht
paid II the American estimates of the
total 10 be- claimed Is adopted
The American view ms to the means
tn provide for this balance Is that the
chief reliance will have to be placed
In Germnny's balance Of trade This
In turn has opened another large and
subsidiary question. as to how far
German industry should be allowed
10 compete with the rest OF the world.
with nearby countries like
France.