History of the American Negro in the Great World War Part 38

The fortifications, military establishments and harbors of the islands of Helgoland and Dune are to be destroyed under the supervision of the allies by German labor and at Germany's expense. They may not be reconstructed, nor any similar fortifications built in the future.

Russia-Germany agrees to respect as permanent and inalienable the independence of all territories which were part of the former Russian empire, to accept abrogation of the Brest-Litovsk and other treaties entered into with the Maximalist government of Russia, to recognize the full force of all treaties entered into by the allied and a.s.sociated powers with states which were a part of the former Russian empire, and to recognize the frontiers as determined therein. The allied and a.s.sociated powers formally reserve the right of Russia to obtain rest.i.tution and reparation of the principles of the present treaty.

SECTION 5. German Rights Outside of Europe-Outside Europe, Germany renounces all rights, t.i.tle and privileges as to her own or her allied territories, to all the allied and a.s.sociated powers.

German Colonies-Germany renounces in favor of the allied and a.s.sociated powers her overseas possessions with all rights and t.i.tles therein. All movable and immovable property belonging to the German empire or to any German state shall pa.s.s to the government exercising authority therein. Germany undertakes to pay reparation for damage suffered by French nationals in the Kameruns or its frontier zone through the acts of German civil and military authorities and of individual Germans from January 1, 1900, to August 1, 1914.

China-Germany renounces in favor of China all privileges and indemnities resulting from the Boxer protocol of 1901, and all buildings, wharves, barracks, forts, munitions or wars.h.i.+ps, wireless plants, and other property (except diplomatic) in the German concessions of Tientsin and Hankow and in other Chinese territory except Kiaochow, and agrees to return to China at her own expense all the astronomical instruments seized in 1901. Germany accepts the abrogation of the concessions of Hankow and Tientsin, China agreeing to open them to international use.

Siam-Germany recognizes that all agreements between herself and Siam, including the right of extra territory, ceased July 22, 1917. All German public property except consular and diplomatic premises pa.s.ses, without compensation, to Siam.

Liberia-Germany renounces all rights under the international arrangements of 1911 and 1912 regarding Liberia.

Morocco-Germany renounces all her rights, t.i.tles and privileges under the act of Algeciras and the Franco-German agreements of 1909 and 1911 and under all treaties and arrangements with the sheriffian empire. All movable and immovable German property may be sold at public auction, the proceeds to be paid to the sheriffian government and deducted from the reparation account.

Egypt-Germany recognizes the British protectorate over Egypt declared on December 19, 1914, and transfers to Great Britain the powers given to the late sultan of Turkey for securing the free navigation of the Suez ca.n.a.l.

Turkey and Bulgaria-Germany accepts all arrangements which the allied and a.s.sociated powers make with Turkey and Bulgaria with reference to any right, privileges or interests claimed in those countries by Germany or her nationals and not dealt with elsewhere.

Shantung-Germany cedes to j.a.pan all rights, t.i.tles and privileges acquired by her treaty with China of March 6, 1897, and other agreements, as to Shantung. All German state property in Kiaochow is acquired by j.a.pan free of all charges.

SECTION 6. The demobilization of the German army must take place within two months. Its strength may not exceed 100,000, including 4,000 officers, with not over seven divisions of infantry, also three of cavalry, and to be devoted exclusively to maintenance of internal order and control of frontiers. The German general staff is abolished. The army administrative service, consisting of civilian personnel, not included in the number of effectives, is reduced to one-tenth the total in the 1913 budget. Employes of the German states, such as customs officers, first guards and coast guards, may not exceed the number in 1913. Gendarmes and local police may be increased only in accordance with the growth of population. None of these may be a.s.sembled for military training.

Armaments-All establishments for the manufacturing, preparation or storage of arms and munitions of war, must be closed, and their personnel dismissed. The manufacture or importation of poisonous gases is forbidden as well as the importation of arms, munitions and war material.

Conscription-Conscription is abolished in Germany. The personnel must be maintained by voluntary enlistment for terms of twelve consecutive years, the number of discharges before the expiration of that term not in any year to exceed 5 per cent of the total effectives. Officers remaining in the service must agree to serve to the age of 45 years and newly appointed officers must agree to serve actively for twenty-five years.

No military schools except those absolutely indispensable for the units allowed shall exist in Germany. All measures of mobilization are forbidden.

All fortified and field works within fifty kilometers (thirty miles) east of the Rhine will be dismantled. The construction of any new fortifications there is forbidden.

Control-Interallied commissions of control will see to the execution of the provisions, for which a time limit is set, the maximum named being three months. Germany must give them complete facilities, and pay for the labor and material necessary in demolition, destruction or surrender of war equipment.

Naval-The German navy must be demobilized within a period of two months. All German vessels of war in foreign ports, and the German high sea fleet interned at Scapa Flow will be surrendered, the final disposition of these s.h.i.+ps to be decided upon by the allied and a.s.sociated powers. Germany must surrender forty-five modern destroyers, fifty modern torpedo boats, and all submarines, with their salvage vessels; all war vessels under construction, including submarines, must be broken up.

Germany is required to sweep up the mines in the North sea and the Baltic. German fortifications in the Baltic must be demolished.

During a period of three months after the peace, German high power wireless stations at Nauen, Hanover and Berlin, will not be permitted to send any messages except for commercial purposes.

Air-The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces except one hundred unarmed seaplanes. No aviation grounds or dirigible sheds are to be allowed within 150 kilometers of the Rhine or the eastern or southern frontiers. The manufacture of aircraft and parts of aircraft is forbidden. All military and aeronautical material must be surrendered.

The repatriation of German prisoners and interned civilians is to be carried out without delay and at Germany's expense.

Both parties will respect and maintain the graves of soldiers and sailors buried on their territories.

Responsibility and Reparation-The allied and a.s.sociated powers will publicly arraign William II of Hohenzollern, formerly German emperor, before a special tribunal composed of one judge from each of the five great powers, with full right of defense.

Persons accused of having committed acts in violation of the laws and customs of war are to be tried and punished by military tribunals under military law.

SECTION 7. Reparation-Germany accepts responsibility for all loss and damages to which civilians of the allies have been subjected by the war, and agrees to compensate them. Germany binds herself to repay all sums borrowed by Belgium from the Allies. Germany irrevocably recognizes the authority of a reparation commission named by the Allies to enforce and supervise these payments. She further agrees to restore to the Allies cash and certain articles which can be identified. As an immediate step toward restoration, Germany shall pay within two years $5,000,000,000 in either gold, goods, s.h.i.+ps or other specific forms of payment.

The measures which the allied and a.s.sociated powers shall have the right to take, in case of voluntary default by Germany, and which Germany agrees not to regard as acts of war, may include economic and financial prohibitions and reprisals and in general such other measures as the respective governments may determine to be necessary in the circ.u.mstances.

The commission may require Germany to give from time to time, by way of guaranty, issues of bonds or other obligations to cover such claims as are not otherwise satisfied.

The German government recognizes the right of the Allies to the replacement, ton for ton and cla.s.s for cla.s.s, of all merchant s.h.i.+ps and fis.h.i.+ng boats lost or damaged owing to the war, and agrees to cede to the Allies all German merchant s.h.i.+ps of sixteen hundred tons gross and upward.

The German government further agrees to build merchant s.h.i.+ps for the account of the Allies to the amount of not exceeding 200,000 tons' gross annually during the next five years.

SECTION 8. Devastated Areas-Germany undertakes to devote her economic resources directly to the physical restoration of the invaded areas.

Coal-Germany is to deliver annually for ten years to France coal equivalent to the difference between annual pre-war output of Nord and Pas de Calais mines and annual production during above ten year period. Germany further gives options over ten years for delivery of 7,000,000 tons coal per year to France, in addition to the above, of 8,000,000 tons to Belgium, and of an amount rising from 4,500,000 tons in 1919 to 1920 to 8,500,000 tons in 1923 to 1924 to Italy, at prices to be fixed as prescribed. c.o.ke may be taken in place of coal in ratio of three tons to four.

Dyestuffs and Drugs-Germany accords option to the commission on dyestuffs and chemical drugs, including quinine, up to 50 per cent of total stock to Germany at the time the treaty comes into force, and similar option during each six months to end of 1924 up to 25 per cent of previous six months' output.

Cables-Germany renounces all t.i.tle to specific cables, value of such as were privately owned being credited to her against reparation indebtedness.

Rest.i.tution-As reparation for the destruction of the library of Louvain, Germany is to hand over ma.n.u.scripts, early printed books, prints, etc., to the equivalent of those destroyed, and all works of art taken from Belgium and France.

SECTION 9. Finances-Germany is required to pay the total cost of the armies of occupation from the date of the armistice as long as they are maintained in German territory.

Germany is to deliver all sums deposited in Germany by Turkey and Austria-Hungary in connection with the financial support extended by her to them during the war and to transfer to the Allies all claims against Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria or Turkey in connection with agreements made during the war.

Germany guarantees to repay to Brazil the fund arising from the sale of Sao Paulo coffee which she refused to allow Brazil to withdraw from Germany.

Contracts-Pre-war contracts between allied and a.s.sociated nations, excepting the United States, j.a.pan and Brazil, and German nationals, are canceled except for debts for accounts already performed.

Opium-The contracting powers agree, whether or not they have signed and ratified the opium convention of January 23, 1912, or signed the special protocol opened at The Hague in accordance with resolutions adopted by the third opium conference in 1914, to bring the said convention into force by enacting within twelve months of the time of peace the necessary legislation.

Missions-The allied and a.s.sociated powers agree that the properties of religious missions in territories belonging or ceded to them shall continue in their work under the control of the powers, Germany renouncing all claims in their behalf.

SECTION 11. Air Navigation-Aircraft of the allied and a.s.sociated powers shall have full liberty of pa.s.sage and landing over and in German territory; equal treatment with German planes as to use of German airdromes, and with most favored nation planes as to internal commercial traffic in Germany.

SECTION 13.-Freedom of Transit-Germany must grant freedom of transit through her territories by rail or water to persons, goods, s.h.i.+ps, carriages and mail from or to any of the allied or a.s.sociated powers, without customs or transit duties, undue delays, restrictions and discriminations based on nationality, means of transport or place of entry or departure. Goods in transit shall be a.s.sured all possible speed of journey, especially perishable goods.

(The remainder of Section 12 concerns the use of European waterways and railroads.)

SECTION 13. International Labor Organizations-Members of the league of nations agree to establish a permanent organization to promote international adjustment of labor conditions, to consist of an annual international labor conference and an international labor office.

The former is composed of four representatives of each state, two from the government and one each from the employers and the employed; each of them may vote individually. It will be a deliberative legislative body, its measures taking the form of draft conventions or recommendations for legislation, which if pa.s.sed by two-thirds vote must be submitted to the lawmaking authority in every state partic.i.p.ating. Each government may either enact the terms into law; approve the principles, but modify them to local needs; leave the actual legislation in case of a federal state to local legislatures; or reject the convention altogether without further obligation.

The international labor office is established at the seat of the league of nations as part of its organization. It is to collect and distribute information on labor through the world and prepare agents for the conference. It will publish a periodical in French and English and possibly other languages. Each state agrees to make to it, for presentation to the conference, an annual report of measures taken to execute accepted conventions. The governing body is its executive. It consists of twenty-four members, twelve representing the government, six the employers and six the employes, to serve for three years.

On complaint that any government has failed to carry out a convention to which it is a party the governing body may make inquiries directly to that government and in case the reply is unsatisfactory may publish the complaint with comment. A complaint by one government against another may be referred by the governing body to a commission of inquiry nominated by the secretary-general of the league. If the commission report fails to bring satisfactory action, the matter may be taken to a permanent court of international justice for final decision. The chief reliance for securing enforcement of the law will be publicity with a possibility of economic action in the background.

The first meeting of the conference will take place in October, 1919, at Was.h.i.+ngton, to discuss the eight-hour day or forty-eight hour week; prevention of unemployment; extension and application of the international conventions adopted at Bern in 1906 prohibiting night work for women and the use of white phosphorus in the manufacture of matches; and employment of women and children at night or in unhealthful work, of women before and after childbirth, including maternity benefit, and of children as regards minimum age.

Nine principles of labor conditions are recognized on the ground that the well-being, physical and moral, of the industrial wage earners is of supreme international importance. With exceptions necessitated by differences of climate, habits and economic developments, they include: The guiding principle that labor should not be regarded merely as a commodity or article of commerce; right of a.s.sociation of employers and employes is granted; and a wage adequate to maintain a reasonable standard of life; the eight-hour day or forty-eight hour week; a weekly rest of at least twenty-four hours, which should include Sunday wherever practicable; abolition of child labor and a.s.surance of the continuation of the education and proper physical development of children; equal pay for equal work as between men and women; equitable treatment of all workers lawfully resident therein, including foreigners, and a system of inspection in which women shall take part.