The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-03-27
ITALY DEMANDS
F|UME BY TREATY
Peace Delegates Threaten TO
Withdraw From Confer
ence II Refused.
NAY DELAY SETTLEMENT,
ENJOYS Say Hungarian Seaport Must
Be Assigned to Italy Contemporane.
ousiy With Signing Of Peace--Foeh
Wants French Defense on Rhine.

Paris--The Italian delegation TO
the peace conference has unanimously
decided to withdraw from 1.-The con
ference unless Flume Is assigned 10
Italy contemporaneously with the con-
clusion of peace.
",The Rhine Is our only good line OF
defense. do not demand annexa-
ton, but II we do not secure that milf
tary frontier we will have fought In
vain" Is statement made by Mar
shal Foch, quoted In an interview
printed in the Hatin.
In discussing the last days Of the
war the marshal said:
ut was the wonderful soldiers who
gave MS victory. My only merit was
10 have had faith and never TO have
despaIred. We signed the armistice
In spite Of the certainty of crushing
the German armies, to avoid killing
one more man and because IL gave us
everything necessary TO French vic
tory"
President Wilson, Dr. Clemenceau
and David Lloyd George are holding a
series Of meetings TO adjust differ
ences among them. These constitute
some OF the larger questions pending
Dow-reparations for war losses and
the Franco-German frontier. These
questions, for the moment, have as
sumed paramount importance, even
taking place ahead Of the league OF
nations.
Col. Il. M. House told British CORE
spondents he was convinced the peace
treaty, including the league of ma
tons covenant, would be ready for
signature on March 20, adding he
would "be disappointed II the Ger
mans were not at Versailles three
weeks hence"
The chief issue of the question OF
reparations Is not what Germany
should pay, but what she can pay. The
commissions, which have studied the
subject, gradually. have reduced the
claims to a total of about S40,0OO,0OO,-
600.
One proposal has been to spread the
payment over period of 40 years. On
this basis the principal. with interest,
would amount to $SO,OOO,0OO,O0O at
the end OF that time Against this
proposal the commission has esti-
mated all the available wealth and re-
sources of Germany at home and
abroad. The American view Is that
S12, 900 100000 Is the utmost that can
be expected, this being estimated
roughly as follows:
German resources outside that coun-
try, $4,000, 100000, represented In mer-
chant ships, railways and mines In Al
SAGE Lorraine, 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.
OF private resources Germany has
property valued at $1,OOO,O0O,O 900,
tfrrpe-QuaTteTS OT tnHt sum IN the
United States and $3,OO0.OO0,OO0 In
other countries
All the outside property Is regarded
by the commission as subject to con-
fscation by the allied and associated
powers. Should this view prevail It
would yield $4,000, 100000 for the i'm.
mediate liquidation Of war losses
This would leave S4,OOO.OO0,OOO to be
paid II the American estimates Of the
total to be claimed is adopted.
The American view as to the means
to provide for this balance is that the |
chief reliance will have to be placed |
in Germany'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.