HC Deb 11 November 1918 vol 110 cc2455-8

1. "Cessation of operations by land and in the air, six hours after the signature of the Armistice."

The Armistice was signed at five o'clock in the morning; the War ceased at eleven o'clock this morning.

2. "Immediate evacuation of invaded countries—Belgium, France, Alsace-Lorraine, Luxembourg—so ordered as to be completed within fourteen days from the signature of the Armistice."

There have been certain alterations in the number of days.

"German troops which have not left the above-mentioned territories within the period fixed will become prisoners of war.

"Occupation by the Allied and United States Forces jointly will keep pace with evacuation in these areas.

"All movements of evacuation and occupation will be regulated in accordance with a Note which has been served upon the German Commander-in-Chief.

3. "Repatriation, beginning at once, to be completed within fourteen days of all inhabitants of the countries above enumerated (including hostages, persons under trial, or convicted).

4. "Surrender in good condition by the German Armies of the following equipment:

The above to be delivered in situ to the Allied and United States troops in accordance with the detailed conditions laid down in the Note.

5. "Evacuation by the German Armies of the countries on the left bank of the Rhine. These countries on the left bank of the Rhine shall be administered by the local authorities under the control of the Allied and United States Armies of occupation.

"The occupation of these territories will be carried out by Allied and United States garrisons holding the principal crossings of the Rhine (Mayence, Coblentz, Cologne), together with bridgeheads at these points of a 30 kilometre radius on the right bank, and by garrisons similarly holding the strategic points of the regions.

"A neutral zone shall be set up on the right bank of the Rhine between the river and a line drawn 10 kilometres distant from the Dutch frontier to the Swiss frontier."

This is in addition to the bridgeheads, I ought to explain to the House.

"In the case of inhabitants"—

Inhabitants of the neutral zone and of the provinces on the left bank of the Rhine—

"no person shall be prosecuted for having taken part in any military measures previous to the signing of the Armistice.

"No measure of a general or official character shall be taken which would have as a consequence the depreciation of industrial establishments or a reduction of their personnel.

"Evacuation by the enemy of the Rhinelands shall be so ordered as to be completed within a further period of 16 days—in all 31 days after the signature of the Armistice.

"All movements of evacuation and occupation will be regulated according to the Note.

6. "In all territory evacuated by the enemy there shall be no evacuation of inhabitants; no damage or harm shall be done to the persons or property of the inhabitants.

"No destruction of any kind to be committed.

"Military establishments of all kinds shall be delivered intact, as well as military stores of food, munitions, equipment not removed during the period fixed for evacuation. Stores of food of all kinds for the civil population, cattle, etc., shall be left in situ.

"Industrial establishments shall not be impaired in any way and their personnel shall not be moved.

7. "Roads and means of communication of every kind, railroads, waterways, main roads, bridges, telegraphs, telephones, shall be in no manner impaired.

"All civil and military personnel at present employed on them shall remain.

"5,000 locomotives, 150,000 wagons and 5,000 motor lorries in good working order, with all necessary spare parts and fittings, shall be delivered to the Associated Powers within the period fixed for the evacuation of Belgium and Luxembourg.

"The railways of Alsace-Lorraine shall be handed over within the same period, together with all pre-war personnel and material.

"Further, material necessary for the working of railways in the country on the left bank of the Rhine shall be left in situ.

"All stores of coal and material for upkeep of permanent way, signals, and repair shops, shall be left in situ and kept in an efficient state by Germany as far as the means of communication are concerned during the whole period of the Armistice.

"All barges taken from the Allies shall be restored to them; the Note appended as Annexure 2 regulates the details of these measures.

8. "The German Command shall be responsible for revealing all mines or delay action fuses disposed on territory evacuated by the German troops, and shall assist in their discovery and destruction.

"The German Command shall also reveal all destructive measures that may have been taken (such as poisoning or pollution of springs, wells, etc.), under penalty of reprisals.

9. "The right of requisition shall be exercised by the Allied and United States Armies in all occupied territory, save for the settlement of accounts with authorised persons.

"The upkeep of the troops of occupation in the Rhineland (excluding Alsace-Lorraine) shall be charged to the German Government.

10. "The immediate repatriation without reciprocity according to detailed conditions, which shall be fixed, of all Allied and United States prisoners of war; the Allied Powers and the United States of America shall be able to dispose of these prisoners as they wish. However, the return of German prisoners of war interned in Holland and Switzerland shall continue as heretofore. The return of German prisoners of war shall be settled at the peace preliminaries.

11. "Sick and wounded who cannot be removed from evacuated territory will be cared for by German personnel who will be left on the spot with the medical material required.