Ii Analysis of the Treaty

Sections III–VIII (Articles 296-311) provide for the regula tion of enemy property, debts, contracts, etc. In the liquidation of German property in foreign countries the principle was adopted of giving the Allies power to confiscate the private property of German individuals in an allied country, and of crediting the sums obtained to the amount paid as reparation by the German National Government. In other words, the private property of German individuals held anywhere abroad was as liable to confiscation for reparation purposes, as if it had been German State property con fiscated in a ceded colony. The German Observations to the Allies seem to admit that German private property held abroad could not he expected to escape altogether.

The Allies, in their Reply of June 16, pointed out that they had had, as a result of the War, to take over foreign investments from their nationals, thus infringing on their private rights. They added: "the time has arrived when Germany must do what she has forced her opponents to do." It is quite true that, though private property was invariably respected in former wars, the ad vance of socialistic ideas and the conditions of modern warfare caused difficulty in applying strictly the doctrines of total im munity of private property.

Part XL Aerial Navigation.

This merely arranges for full liberty of passage and facilities for Allied airships flying over Germany up till Jan. r, 1923.

Part XII. Ports, Waterways and Railways.

This is an im portant section, though a highly technical one. The aim was to secure international control over rivers which flowed through more than one country. This was a very extraordinary development from the doctrine laid down as to international rivers at Vienna in 1815. It was, however, affected by the desire to provide access to the sea for countries like Switzerland and Czechoslovakia. These were land-locked, though they were the source of rivers which end in the sea. International commissions were set up to control the Rhine, Oder, Elbe, Niemen and Danube. The result was that Germany was in a minority in the control of three rivers regarded as typically German, the Rhine, Oder and Elbe. The Kiel canal was in effect internationalized to give freedom of access to all vessels of whatever country in peace and in war but, subject to this condi tion, was under German administration. Access to the sea was se cured by providing free zones for Czechoslovakia in the harbours of Hamburg and Stettin. As regards international transport by rail, the clauses were mostly of a temporary nature ; and were sub sequently more defined by an international transport conference held at Barcelona in 1921 under the auspices of the League.

Part XIII. Labour.

This section marks the beginning of an

attempt to build up an elaborate fabric of international Labour machinery, to provide for periodic international discussion, and to arrange for the representation both of employers and of working men. Three Labour representatives took part in its construction, Samuel Gompers of the United States, George N. Barnes of Great Britain, and Albert Thomas of France, the last-named becoming the permanent head of the International Labour Office. This is established at Geneva side by side, but not identical, with the League Secretariat. It is, in fact, the instrument set up to carry out Article 23a of the Covenant by which the members undertook "to endeavour to secure and maintain fair and humane conditions for men, women and children, both in their own countries and in all countries to which their commercial and industrial relations extend." Though an integral part of the League, its character and organs are autonomous, which is not the case with the machinery set up to deal with health and transit questions. In the allocation of its finance the League has control, but not over the organs, of international Labour. The Labour Office is controlled by the governing body of 24 persons, of whom 12 represent Govern ments; six are elected by employers' delegates to the conference and six by workers' delegates to the conference.

The general conference, or Labour parliament, which has to meet once every year, consists of over 200 members, and is con stituted as follows : Every member of the League is entitled to four representatives, of whom the State Government nominates two, while a third is elected by the employers and a fourth by the workers of the State concerned. The conference has met annually, but has met with grave difficulties in the application of universal rules and standards. (See INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZA TION.) Part XIV. Guarantees.—Provision was made in the military clauses (see above) for the demilitarization of the left bank of the Rhine. But a military occupation of Allied troops was also pro vided for. By article 428 the whole of this area, together with bridgeheads across the Rhine, was to be occupied for 15 years from the coming into force of the treaty (Jan. 10, 192o). But it was provided in Article 429 that there should be successive Allied evacuation of the three zones and bridgeheads into which the area was divided. That of Cologne was to be evacuated in five years, that of Coblenz in ro and of Mainz in 15. Those evacuations were not, however, to take place unless Germany faithfully carried out the provisions of the treaty as a whole. The Cologne evacuation was delayed from Jan. to Dec. 1925 on this account.