The Peace Negotiations Part 22

XII. The Turkish portions of the present Ottoman Empire should be a.s.sured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be a.s.sured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free pa.s.sage to the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees.

XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be a.s.sured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant.

XIV. A general a.s.sociation of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.

APPENDIX V

PRINCIPLES DECLARED BY PRESIDENT WILSON IN HIS ADDRESS OF FEBRUARY 11, 1918

The principles to be applied are these:

_First_, that each part of the final settlement must be based upon the essential justice of that particular case and upon such adjustments as are most likely to bring a peace that will be permanent;

_Second_, that peoples and provinces are not to be bartered about from sovereignty to sovereignty as if they were mere chattels and p.a.w.ns in a game, even the great game, now forever discredited, of the balance of power; but that

_Third_, every territorial settlement involved in this war must be made in the interest and for the benefit of the populations concerned, and not as a part of any mere adjustment or compromise of claims amongst rival states; and

_Fourth_, that all well defined national aspirations shall be accorded the utmost satisfaction that can be accorded them without introducing new or perpetuating old elements of discord and antagonism that would be likely in time to break the peace of Europe and consequently of the world.

APPENDIX VI

THE ARTICLES OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES RELATING TO SHANTUNG

ARTICLE 156

Germany renounces, in favour of j.a.pan, all her rights, t.i.tle and privileges--particularly those concerning the territory of Kiaochow, railways, mines, and submarine cables--which she acquired in virtue of the Treaty concluded by her with China on March 6, 1898, and of all other arrangements relative to the Province of Shantung.

All German rights in the Tsingtao-Tsinanfu Railway, including its branch lines, together with its subsidiary property of all kinds, stations, shops, fixed and rolling stock, mines, plant and material for the exploitation of the mines, are and remain acquired by j.a.pan, together with all rights and privileges attaching thereto.

The German State submarine cables from Tsingtao to Shanghai and from Tsingtao to Chefoo, with all the rights, privileges and properties attaching thereto, are similarly acquired by j.a.pan, free and clear of all charges and enc.u.mbrances.

ARTICLE 157

The movable and immovable property owned by the German State in the territory of Kiaochow, as well as all the rights which Germany might claim in consequence of the works or improvements made or of the expenses incurred by her, directly or indirectly, in connection with this territory, are and remain acquired by j.a.pan, free and clear of all charges and enc.u.mbrances.

ARTICLE 158

Germany shall hand over to j.a.pan within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the archives, registers, plans, t.i.tle-deeds and doc.u.ments of every kind, wherever they may be, relating to the administration, whether civil, military, financial, judicial or other, of the territory of Kiaochow.

Within the same period Germany shall give particulars to j.a.pan of all treaties, arrangements or agreements relating to the rights, t.i.tle or privileges referred to in the two preceding Articles.

[Footnote 1: Reprinted from Senate Doc. No. 106, 66th Congress, 1st Session, p. 1163.]

[Footnote 2: From the address of President Wilson delivered at a Joint Session of Congress on January 8, 1918.]