The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-21
PROPOSED AGREEMENT


 the President follows:
 "The. allied and associated governments, whose signatures are hereto affixed, sew erallv agree as regards merchant shipping as follows:
 "- The reparation commission will as soon as possible compile list slvlhg fullest particulars available on all enemy sbins still in existence. captured, seized orf detained by any allied or associateu government during the war. and also all other enemy ships or boats which the enemy powers are required to cede under the treaty of peace.
 .'.2 The reparation commission will
 take such steps as will secure mat each of the allied and associated gov ernments will retain as its own tne complete title to and use of all ships captured, seized or detained during the war as war measure And prior to No vember II. 1918. and will own the same free from any claim of any of fhe ai- lied or associated governments.
 "'s In all cases where the ships and boats so to be retained oy any ai- lied or associated government are Tn excess of the claims of such govern- ments. respectively for war losses in merchant ships, such government shall not make any claim for share Tn other ships, and boats ceded under the treaty of peace.
 TON FOR TON BASIS
 "Tn all cases where the ships and boats to be retained by any such gov ernment are insufficient to satisfy in full the claims of such government re spectively for war losses in merchant ships. the enemy ships which remain and which are to be ceded under the treaty of peace will be divided into three classes, siz.: liners. other mer- chant ships and fishing boats, and will be distributed to such governments on the basis of ton for ton and class for class of the ships and boats lost, and not replaced by the ships and boats re- | tained, but in proportion to the bal ances. "'4. As the ships and boats so to be retained will. in the case of Brazil, China. Cuba. Siam and the United States, exceed the total amount of ton mage which would be allocated to those countries. was the total enemy ton mage capture. seized. detained or still in existence. shared in proportions to losses of ships and boats during the war in each such case reasonable value on the excess of ships and boats over the amount which would result from such a division will be deter
 mined.
 "'The amount of the value so fixed will be paid over by each such state
 
 credit of Germany towards the sums due from her for reparation. in respec. | to war losses of merchant ships.~ PUBLIC NOTICE PROVIDED "'5. As soon as the reparation com mission has collected the necessary in formation and is in a position so to do, they will give public notice that after an interval of two months, seized or detained by the allies and as- trt, ta he retained by them, respectively, as here- l inbefore provided. If within one month of the publication Of the notice any allied associated or neutral govern | ment person or corporation, a na- tional of such government and acting through such government. notifies the commission that they have an equit- able claim against any vessel which l has not been. or is not being, aatis- fled by the enemy government, that l claim will be considered on it's merits by the commi ssion. which may adopt any procedure it thinks fit. provided if Ills expeditious and Ii. calculated to do substantial justice as between the alr lies and associated governments on the one hand and the claimant on the other.
 "'The commission will have power | to determine claims 90 presented and such determination will be conclusive and the commission will also have 1 power to enforce its findings. WOODROW WILSON. "'Subject to the explanation con tained in the attached memorandum. "D. Lloyd George.
 May. 1s19.'"
 | q deem it my duty to state in sign ling this document that weile I feel l confident that the Congress of the 1 United States will make the disposal of tn, funds mentioned in Clause 4, which is there agreed upon. I have no author ity to bind it to that act. but must de- pend upon it's taking the same view of the matter that is taken by the joint signatories of this agreement"