Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-10
MODIFICATION OF TREATY
Revised Draft Will Contain Some Con.
cessions.

cessions.
There are many loose ends to the de-
examinations which must be made be-
fore the reply of the Allies to the Ger
man counter-proposals can be submit
ted to Count Won Brockdorff- -Rantzau,
head of the German plenipotentiaries,
and even the question Of principle re-
garding changes in the treaty has not
been definitely Settled. Nevertheless,
the council of four seem sure that they
will be able to present the Allied re-
ply on Thursday or Friday.
The reply will be submitted as an
ultimatum with a short time limit,
probably about four days, in which
Germany will either have to take or
leave the conditions as offered them.
The most important modification un-
der consideration, namely, the ques-
ton Of reparations, probably will not
involve any material changes in the
treaty as originally presented. The
concessions will, instead, be presented
in the form Of supplementary agree
ment, defining the procedure for the
reparation commission and prescribing
certain Instructions for that body,
which according to the original draft
of the treaty, was given a most COM
prehensive power of action, subject on
ly to the instructions Of the powers
represented on the commission.
This new solution, which is expect
ed to emerge from the deliberations OF
the experts, will dodge fixation Of
definite monetary total for reparations,
to which the French object on the
ground that announcement Of any sum
which it is considered possible to exact
in payment would so disappoint the
expectations Of the French public as to
cause a political upheaval.
The supplementary agreement also
would meet the objections Of the Ger
mans who declared they were to be
asked to pay Off debt the extent OF
whic. was unknown. and with the
population in virtual economic slavery
to the reparations commission under
that clause Of the treaty requiring Ger
many to devote her economic re-
sources directly to the physical resto-
ration of the invaded areas Of the AL
lied and ASSOCIATED powers to the ex-
tent that these powers may determine.
The instructions to the reparations
in the proposed supplementary agree
ment would enable the Germans to
know at once the amount of repara-
tions due under certain "categories' OF
reparations, such as pensions, separa-
ton, allowances, maintenance of war
prisoners and the destruction of ships
at a fixed figure per ton. 1t was found
impossible, however, to fix any total
sum for all categories, since the cost
Of reconstruction and restoration IN
the devastated regions cannot be estab-
lished until after an extensive survey
and the only general estimate on which
the French are willing to act would
bring the total to 250.0OO,OO 200
francs, which the experts quite gener-
ally agreed was beyond Germany's
power to pay.
In addition to learning at once the
definite instructions on which the per-
manent commission will act, the Ger
mans will also be assured that GER
tain amount of working capital will be
left them including probably, tonnage
for overseas trade, without which they
profess inability to make the required
reparations.
1t is understood that the question OF
a plebiscite in upper Silesia practically
has been decided affirmatively.
No change with regard to response
bilities, punishment Of the former EN-
peror or the disposition Of the German
colonies is regarded as probable. The
changes in reparation probably will
delay presentation Of the reparation
clauses in the Austrian treaty, which
will be made to conform to the Ger
man provision under the principle OF
Joint and several responsibility and ad-
ministration by the same permanent
/