The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, April 18, 1919, Image 2

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    THE 8EM1AVEEKLV TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
SUMMARY OF THE
KEEtpUTC
CENTRAL POWERS STRIPPED OF
ALL THEIR COLONIES TO BE
RULED BY LEAGUE MANDATORIES.
The Monroe Doctrine Is Protected By
the Fourth Paragraph Of the Cove
nantsSudden Burst of Speed on
the Part of the Big Four Optimism
Now Felt In All Quarters.
Paris. From tho dcpthn of gloom
the pcaco conference has emerged Into
a burnt of optimism, and it la confl
denlly predicted the pence settlement
would be completed within a fortnight
;nd signed by May 1.
Several of the moat perplexing prob
lems, on which tho conferees appeared
to bo growing further upart rather
than nearer to a solution, have been
settled in a sudden burst of speed by
the "big four." Tho dizzy pace set by
this body dated from publication of
President Wilson's order for tho Georgo
Washington to proceed to Brest. Tho
conference agreed on .these vital prob
lems In the last half of tho week:
Reparations, Responsibility for tho
war. Rovlsed covenunt of tho league
of nations. Saar valley. Pltitno. Dan
:ilg. To Reduce Armaments
Tho members of tho leaguo will
agree to rcduco their armaments under
iplans suggested by the leaguo council,
with tho consent of tho states them
'solves. In case of disputes, the member
states will submit their differences to
arbitration or inquiry by the council.
Tho council, however, can make no rul
ing that affects purely domestic mat
ters. War shall not be resorted to
until at least three months after an
i award is mado, and not then against
tho stato which accepts tho award.
A power which breaks tho leaguo
covenant will bo regarded as having
committed an act of war against tho
league. Tho other states will break
off nil relations with It, and the council
will recommend tho apportionment of
forces, if any, to bo directed against
the refractory nation with tho approval
of tho states affected.
All treaties must bo published and
may not conflict with tho principles
of the leaguo. A state breaking its
agreements can be expelled from Iho
leaetiG.
Germany loses ail her colonics, and
tho territories of tho Turkish empire
will bo administered by tho leaguo
through states acting as voluntary
mandatories
Tho Monro doctrlno ls protected
by tho following paragraph:
The covenant does not affect the
validity of International engagements
Buch as treaties of arbitration, of reg
ional understandings, Uko the Monroo
doctrine, for securing tho maintenance
of peace.
Tho voto was said to bavo boon
cloven for tho amendment to six
against, but becauso tho voto was
not unanimous, as required by the
commission's rules, tho amondment
was defeated.
Official Summary
Tho following Is the official summary
of the covenant of tho league of na
tions: 1. Tho leaguo of nations is founded
tin order to promote International co
rporation and to socuro pcaco. Tho
ileague will Include (a) tho bellljger
orit states named in a document an
nexed to tho covenant; (b) all tho
neutral states so named, and (c) In
ttho future any self-governing country
whose admission 1b approved by two
thirds of tho states already members
.of the leaguo. A state may withdraw
from the leaguo, providing It has kept
iita obligations to date, on giving two
.years' notice.
2. Tho leaguo will act through an
aaaombly comprising not more than
three representatives of each of the
Bacmber 'States, each r however,
Shaving .only one vojji a council
.comprising, for, ifi'o present, one rep
iresentatlvc -of each of tho live great
powers -and each of four other pow
ere, as solected from time to time by
tho assembly. Tho number of pow
rs of each class represented on tho
council may be Increased by tho unani
mous consont of the council and a
majority of tho assembly. Other pow
ers have tho right to sit as members
of the council during tho decision of
matters in which they are specially
Interested. In the council, as In tho
assembly, each state will have only ono
vote. Both these bodies are to meet
at stated Intervals. (This council at
least onco a year) and at other times
1 f required; both can deal with any
natter that Is of International Inter
est or that threatens tho peace of tho
world; tho decision of both must bo
They Think They Won't Sign
Berlin. Count von Rantzau, forolgn
mlnlstor, speaking beforo tho national
assombly at Wolmar, said Germany
would not sign a poaco treaty which
deviated In any ossontial from Presi
dent Wilson's "fourteen points."
Germans In Service of Hungary
London. A number of former of
ficers of the army of Field Marshal
von Mackonsen, a dispatch from Bor
lis says, havo entered tho sorvlco ot
the Hungarian bolshevik government.
unanimous, except In cortaln specified
cases, matters of procedure, fw In-
stance, being decided by majority voto.
The leaguo will havo a permanent soc-
retarlat under n secretary general, lat
secretariat and all other bodies under
tho leaguo may inctudo womon equally
with men. A permanent court of in
ternational justice and various perma
nent commissioners and bureaux aro
also to be established.
3. The members states agrco: (a)
To reduce their armnmcnts, plans for
such reduction being suggested by tho
council, but only adopted with tho con
sent of tho states themselves, and
thereafter not to increaso them with
out the concurrence of tho council, (b)
To exchange full Information of tiefr
existing armies and their naval and
military programs. (c) To respect
ench other's territory and personal In
dependence, and guarantee them
against foreign aggression, (d) To
submit all international disputes cither
to arbitration or to Inquiry by tho
council, which latter, however, may
not pronounce an opinion on any dis
pute whose subject matter falls solely
within a state's domestle jurisdiction;
In no case to go to war till three
months after an award or unanimous
recommendation has been mado; and
even then not to go to war with a
stato which accepts tho award or rec
ommendation. (o)To regard a Btato
which has broken covenant d) as hav
ing committed an act of war against
tho leaguo; to break off all economic
and other rotations with It; and to
allow free passage through their terri
tories to the troops to those states
which aro contributing armed forces
on behalf of the league. Tho council is
to recommend what amount of force, If
any, should bo supplied by tho several
governments concerned, hut the ap
proval of tho latter is necessary.
(States not members of the league will
bo Invited to accept tho obligations
of the leaguo for tho purpose of par
ticular disputes, and If they fall to
comply, may no forced, '(f) Not to
consider any treaty hlnding till it has
boon communicated to tho league,
which will 'then procoo dto publish it;
to -admit tho right of tho assembly to
advlsothe r'econsidoration of treaties
and international conditions whldh 'do
not accord with nrosont needs; and to
bo bound by mo obligations inconsist
ent with thoicovonant..
A state -vVhltih 'breaks its agreement
may 'bo expelled from tho league 'by
tho (council.
4. Tho covenant docs not affect the
validity of international engagements
BUdh tas 'treaties of arbitration of reg
lonnal understandings, Uko the Mon
roo doctrlno, for securing tho mainten
ance Of pcaco.
5. Tho former German colonies and
territories of tho Ottoman empire aro
to be administered in the interests of
civilization by states which are willing
to bo mandatories of tho league which
will exercise a general supervision.
C. The membor states accept certain
responsibilities with regard to labor
conditions, tho treatment of natives,
tho White slave traffic, tho opium trnf-
flc, tho arms traffic with uncivilized
and soml-clVlllzed countries, transit
trade conditions, public health and
redress isocletleB.
7. Tho league is recognized as the
central 'body interested In co-ordina
tlon and assisting international ac
tlvitles generally.
8. Amendments to tho covenant re
qulro tho approval of all tho states
on tho coundll and a simple major
lty of those In 'the assembly. States
which signify their dissent from
amendments thus npproved are bound
by them, but In this case ceaso to be
members of tho league.
(Discussion of the amondment by the
league ot nations commission is do
scribed by those present ns having
boon ot n dramatic character, con
eluding -with a speech by President
Wilson ileprocatlng tho qpposltion up
holding tho doalrlno as ono of the
groat bulwarks mgalnst absolutism
Tho debato camo lato In 'tho session
and after -othor subjects had' boon
pasBod upon. Tho British (attitude ihad
been itn doubt until tho last, but 'Lord
Robert Cecil turood (tho scales 'by an
nouncing that ho snw no objection to
tho amondmont 1n the "form 'presented
by tho -president. M. Laranaude ot
the Vreh'en delegation followed (Lord
Robort with objections Ao'-lnBQrtlng
tho Monroe doctrlno.
In his speech the president spoke
with great earnestness and with some
ovldonco ot fooling. He declared that
tho Monroo doctrine was enunciated
to combat the Holy alliance and to
hold hack tho threat ot absolutism
which was then menacing Europe and
seeking to spread its absolute power
to tho westorn hemisphere. It nerved
its purposo in keeping this absolute
power from tho western world. One
of Its great purposos, ho said, was to
maintain territorial and political In
tegrity, and having served Its great
purposo in tho westorn world, It was
now bolng brought to tho lands which
had felt tho hand ot absolutism and
militarism. It was a source ot sur
prise and dlscourngoment, tho presi
dent said, to hoar opposition expressed
to such a doctrlno and such a purpose.
Sleeping 8lckne on Increase
Washington. Sovonty cages ot
Blooplng sickness, forty-four ot which
occurod In Chicago, havo boon report
ed from Illinois to tho public health
service Of tho soventoon states from
which reports havo beon received Illi
nois has been tho heaviest sufferer
from this dlsoaso.
Paris. Tho three dologateB chosen
by tho Irish societies of tho United
States to appeal to tho peace confer
ence on behalf of Ireland arrived In
Pari. .
1 Carter Glass, secretary of the treasury (left), and Frank It. Wilson, publicity man for the loan, unfurl
ing for tho Victory loan campaign the historic flag which flew over the dome of the capltol when President
Wilson was Inaugurated, when war was declared and when the nrmlstice was signed. 2 The advance guard of
the American troops arriving at Molslierg, the farthest point Into Germany reached by the Americans. 3 Gen.
Joseph Huller, commander of the Polish divisions In France, which are being sent to Polnnd, standing with his
stnff In front of the Cathedral of Louvulu.
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Council of Four In Paris Has
Agreed on Most of the
Peace Problems.
TREATY MAY BE READY SOON
Mint That President Wilson Would
-Withdraw Has Effect Soviet Gov
ernment Set Up in Bavaria Op
posed by Peasants Allies
Forced to Evacuate
Odessa.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD.
Most of the great problems confront
ing tho peace conference were settled
lust week by the "Big Four" perhaps.
That Is to say, nt the close of tho week
they were settled, hut beforo this
roaches the Tender they may be till un
settled again. Such has been the way
-of tho peacemakers In the past. How
ever, If there Is not agreement ou the
Vital 'question? mighty oon, there In
some reason to believe President Wil
son will withdraw from the dellbera
;tlons and come home. He Htartled the
conference and the world by ordering
his transport, the 'George Washington,
made rendy for another trip to Europe,
!und asking -wflien It might be xpectcu
there. Some of the Paris papers de
clared Mr. Wilson wns thus trying to
force tho "French delegates to mitigate
their demands; pessimists snw In the
'action the probability of hopeless dis
agreement ; optimists said It meant the
treaty was nearly ready for submission
Ito the 'Germans.
The theory of the -optimists was
jboruo out by dispatches late In the
jwct'k stating that the Big Four bad
agreed: That William Ilohenzollem
'and others responsible for breach of
treaty and of rules of war must stand
itriol, probably beforo a Belgian court,
'hut that tho death penalty should not
,be Imposed on the former kaiser that
France shall bo given control of the
uillnes of the Saar valley, but shall not
be permitted to annex any of that ter
jritory and that a -commission shall reg--Ulnte
strikes by miners there; that
Germany must make an Initial pay
ment of $5,000,000,000 reparation In
1021, after' which a commission shall
assess a yearly Indemnity.
Tho Ithlne frontier, the ultimate dis
position of Danzig, the Italian claims
to Flume nnd the Dalmatian const and
some lesser matters remained to be
settled at the time these dispatches
wjirC'CSCnk That agreement on these
questions wus'betlPWdto be Imminent
was Indicated by the fneUhnt the com
mission to prepare for tlufi,K,,nR of
the peace treaty at Versailles"" busy
making the necessary urrnntt!lm'n,s
for that momentous occasion. VFt'mler
Pnderewskl urged before the coit"0"
of four that Poland should be glV"
Danzig and the coal fields of TescheP'
Silesia, but the belief was that thl
matter, as well as that of the Rhine
land, would be settled In conformity
with Mr. Wilson's 14 points, his abso
lute adherence to which he again de
clared; that, .of course, would preclude
the annexation of enemy territory.
How the Italian elalms would be set
tled there was no Intimation.
According to reports, Mr. Lansing's
opposition to the British and French
leslre that the former kaiser should
io tried by an International tribunal
resulted In the compromise plnn stated
above. The Americans, It was said,
were in favor only of u moral Indict
ment without recourse to prosecution,
ivving to the lack of an International
law covering tho case. Tho Japanese
opresentatlve supported this view.
The reparations clause specifies that
iho enemy countries must admit their
responsibility for all losses ami dam
ago to allied and associated nations
and their citizens due to unjustifiable
aggression; also that Germany I to
pay the expenses of the commission
during the period probably thirty
years In which damuges arc to be col
lected. The Americans would have
preferred that the treaty should mime
the llxed amount of Indemnity to be
collected, but did not Insist on this, In
order to hasten agreement. The live
billion llrst payment Is to bo made by
Germany, In cash or securities, before
May 3, 1021. It is supposed the total
to he demanded will be about $45,000,-
000,000.
Owing to the illness of President
Wilson during tho early part of the
week, the commission on tho league of
nations did not meet until Thursday
evening. At that time the completed
draft of tho covenant, comprising 27
articles, was submitted. There is no
longer any doubt In Paris that tho
league covenant will be a part of
tho peace treaty, and In this country
the opposition seems to be losing some
of its vehemence.
It wns hnnounced that tho commis
sion had adopted a section specifically
safeguarding the Monroe doctrine, and
that Geneva, Switr.crland, had been se
lected as the seat of tho league of na
tions.
An important and interesting part
ot the trenty, which has been formu
lated, deals with water and rull com
munications In enemy states. Freedom
of transportation through Germany and
Austria and equality of treatment in
ports nnd harbors are provided. The
regulation of transportation oyer the
ithlne and Danube provides for the
entrance of France, Switzerland nnd
some nonpartisan states to the present
Mannheim convention between Ger
mnny and Holland covering the navi
gation of the Rhine.
The European commission control
ling tho mouths of the Danube will be
continued, representatives of present
enemy states being excluded from It,
and n similar International commission
will bo established provisionally for
the upper Danube. This will last until
n new general Danube convention Is
established.
A new International convention cov
ering the navigation of the Elbe nnd
Oder rivers Is recommended to protect
the Interests of Poland nnd Czecho
Slovnkla and give them freedom of
navigation without discriminating du
ties, down through German territory
to the North and Baltic seas. These
states would be further given free port
privileges at certain north German har
bors in order that they may be enabled
to develop their export and Import
commerce.
m
Bolshevism made another big play
Inst week when a soviet government
of Bavaria was set up In Munich by
the revolutionary central council. The
landtag was dissolved and people's
commissions appointed. This action
was supported n Wurzburg and Rntls
bon. but throughout Bavaria generally
It was violently opposed not only by
tho bourgeoisie but also by the peas
ants. The latter hold control of the
food supply and declared they would
refuse to deliver food while the soviet
government remained In power. The
bolshevlsts prepared measures for the
communlzatlon of property and the
formation of n Bed army, while the
'government they sought to replace, re-
fusing to retire, set Itself up In Bam
berS f'",,r the w'ek the citizens
n,j otllclals of Wurzburg struck
ngaln the soviet government and
ousted s "Kents after severe fighting.
The diotmt 1,1 Hamburg and the min
isters sali,,u'y regarded the situation
with confldnce nntl that outsldo help
to suppress tne holshevlsts wns not
needed.
The conimiurVit Government of Hun
gary rejected thePronos','ons "uulo by
General Smuts for 1,10 ules. concern
ing the neutral xon ntul ther '""tters,
and made couit,r-l,roPosilM. with
which Smuts retur"nci1 to 1'r'- Mean
while the Hungafltm bolshevlsts wero
cheered bv the i10Wfl that Lenlno was
sending them ISC''000 ,nen- In nn Inter
cepted wireless! message to Tchltcher
In, Kusslan fori1' minister, Bela Kun,
said : "We dn not wnnt ,0 usu the dic
tatorship of t' Hungarian proletariat
to take hnu0'KOO,s chestnuts out of the
fire for th bourgeoisie. Whir, the
German proletariat shall hav paver
they will use It for the benefit of Ger
man Imperialism, and will throw out
Scheldcmnnn, Ehert, Noske, Dnvld and
their press valets."
Persistent efforts to Induce German
Austria to go bolshevik were hampered
by the dependence of the Austrlnns on
the allies for food, but Amsterdam dis
patches said u soviet republic was pro
claimed In Snlzburg, which Is near the
Bavarian border. In Vienna conditions
became steadily worse nnd acts of vio
lence Increased. A meeting ot the sol
dlers nnd workmen's council of Vienna
wns called for "April 14 for the purpose
of discussing n soviet form of govern
ment. In Germany there were continual
outbreaks against the Ebcrt govern
ment, tho greatest demonstrations be
ing In Essen, Magdeburg and In the
former duchy of Brunswick. The Es
sen radicals brought uhout it strike of
the, Krupp workers and seized the
plant, but were ousted by government
troops, after which two-thirds ot the
men went back to work. The Insur
gents of Mngdcburg also were routed
by soldiers sent by Minister of Military
Affairs Nosko. From Brunswick came
reports of a strong movement In fa
vor of n soviet government, anil com
munists of Saxony made a" like de
mnud. As bnd been anticipated, the ullles
were forced to evacuate Odessa, being
attacked by nn overwhelming number
of Ukrainian bolshevik!. This was re
ally u considerable triumph for Lenlne
nnd Trotzky. for they gained control
of the most fertile regions ot southern
Bussla besides capturing large supplies
of cash. The allied commander with
drew his troops, numbering about 60,
000, to Constantinople and Roumanla.
In North Itussin the soviet troops ap
peared to be preparing for a renewal
of their offensive, despite their recent
vain nnd costly attempts against the
allied forces. British re-enforccments
and American engineers sailed from
Englnnd for Archangel. '
Decidedly unpleasant wns the admis
sion by the war department that open
mutiny was threatened recently by tho
American troops In North Russia un
less Washington speedily announced
Its policy as to early withdrawal of
the armed forces In that region. Some
of the men flatly refused to go to front
line positions. The American soldiers
cannot understand why they are call
ed on to make wnr ngalnst Russians
when war has not been declared, and It
Is declared this feeling Is shared by
the troops of other nationalities. Rep
resentatives of the nntl-bolshevik Rus
sians hnve repeatedly said In this coun
try that they ask only munitions and
moral support from the allies, and
have urged that all the armed forces
of the latter be withdrawn from Russia
as speedily as possible.
The Esthonlans reported continued
successes against the bolshevik!, In
cluding the capture of seven villages
nnd many prisoners.
Conditions In Roumanla and Foland
aro causing the allies considera
ble worry, for there Is dnnger,
some feel, of a great bolshcvlst
combination of Russians, Hungari
ans and Germans that would crush
those two countries. The allied troops
thnt went from Odessa to Roumanla
will help some, but It wns felt that no
time should be lost In getting General
Halter's Polish divisions to Polnnd.
Marshal Foch arranged with the Ger
mans that those divisions might be
transported by train across Germany,
and If necessary might bo landed in
Danzig. In this compromise of the dls
puto with the Huns over the East Prus
sian port, It is felt by mnny that the
allies yielded too cosily to Germany
nnd did not give due support to the
claims of Poland. In England Premier
Lloyd George was bitterly assailed for
his Danzig policy.
Frenklsh weather worked havoc In
the Southwest and West last week. In
north Texas, southern Oklahoma and
Arkansas there was a terrific tornado
that killed about one hundred persons.
Injured many more and destroyed'
property worth millions of dollars.
Heavy snow In the Rocky mountain
states tied up the railroads and demor
alized wire communication.
IHE VICTORY IKK
ISSUE WILL BE FOR FOUR AND A
HALF BILLION DOLLARS.
NOTES MATURE IN 4 YEARS
Will Draw Four and Threo-Quarterji
Per Cent Interest Will Be the
Last Popular Campaign.
Washington,. D. C, April 35. Secre
tary of tho Treasury Glass announced
that the Victory loan will bo for tho
sum of $4,WK).000,000, nnd that all
Over-subscriptions will be rejected.
Tho interest rate Is to bo 4 per
cent, for partially tax exempt notes,
convertible Into .'5?i per cent notes
wholly tax exempt.
The notes will mature in four years,
with the treasury reserving Uic privi
lege of redeeming them In thrco
years. The a per cent notes to bo
Issued later also may be converted,
subsequently back Into 4 per cent
notes.
The 4 per cent securities are to
be exempt from stute and local tax
ation, excepting estuto and Inhcritnnco
taxes, and from normal rates of fed
eral Income taxes, tho li per cent se
curities are exempt from all federal,,
state and local taxes.
The size ot the loon was much
smaller than had been anticipated by
most ilnunclal observers, who looked
for un Issue of about $6,000,000,000,
particularly In view of Secretary
Glass' past statements thnt tho loan,
would he five or six billion.
This will bo the last Liberty loan,.
Secretary Glass explained, although
thero will be other Issues of govern
ment securities to ilnunce belated war
expenses. These will not be floated by
popular campaigns.
None of tho past Issues of Liberty
bonds are convertible Into Victory
loan notes, nnd there are no specific
provisions in the terms of the Victory
issue serving to maintain market
prices on past issues.
Nation May Remain "Wet."
Washington, D. C, April 35. En
forcement of war time prohibition,
which becomes effective July 3, is not
lodged with the internal revenue
bureau or with any other government
agency, but is merely left to the
United States attorneys, Rovt-nue
Commissioner Daniel C. Roper de
clared after analysis of all statutes
and regulations.
Intimation that, because of the ap
parent difllculty of enforcement, tlio
president or congress might be called:
on to iostpone the Inwte operation,,
wns given by Mr. Roper who declared!
thnt "the issuing of licenses tar the
manufacture prohibited by the war
time prohibition act will naturally
cease with July 1, assuming, of'
course, thut neither the president nor
the congress stays the operation of
that law."
In this connection It has becoma-'
known that a number of administra
tion otllclals and advisers of tho presi
dent have urged him to prevent pro
hibition from going into effect July 1
by proclaiming the complete demobili
zation -by that time.
Hanged for Christian Massacre.
Constantinople, April 30. Kemnl
Bey, governor of Dhirbekr, has been
publicly hanged by Bayazld squaireJn
Stamboul in the presence of tho mili
tary governor of Constantinople and
other high ofllclals. Kemal Bey wa
sentenced to denth as one of those'
responsible for the Armendan deporta'
tlon nnd massacres in the Vozghad
district. The former commander of the
gendarmerie In Yoxghad wntt sen
tenced to fifteen years' Imprisonment
In the fortress. The sentence) were
confirmed by an Imperial Initio. The
trial of those responsible for the Ar
menian massacres by Turks began
early In February at Constantinople.
Korea Swept By Revolution.
Toklo, April 35. The uprisings itt
Korea are spreading and threaten to.
engulf the whole peninsula, say an
olllcial statement from the .Tapnne&e
government. There have been wriomsi
rlota In the last fow daysMn hundreds,
of places. A number of policemen
have been killed and several police
stations and postotllces destroyed.
Telegraph wires, the statement, udds,.
hnve ben cut in various places and'
bridges and homes of Japanese
burned.
Debs Begins Prison Term.
Monndsville, W. V., April 15. Eu
gene V. Debs, several times socialist
candidate for prosldent, entered tho
West Virginia penitentiary April 13,
and hegnn serving his 10-ycar sentence
for violation of the espionage act As
tho prisoner stood In the doorway of
tho penitentiary ho said: "I enter tho
prison door a flaming rovolutlonst, my
head unbent, my spirit untamed, my
soul unconquerable."
Fear Great Labor Shortage. ..
New York, April 15. Custom offic
ials here say that aliens are leaving
this country at tho rate of more than
3,000 n day. Fears aro expressed that
with tho possibility that congress may
limit immigration for the next four
yenrs, tho United States will face a
serious labor shortage, instead of a
condition of unemployment. Slnco the
signing of the nrmlstlco, It was said,
Italians, Greeks, Spaniards and Portu
guese have been pouring out of the
United States through this port