§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL(EARL CURZON OF KEDLETON)My Lords, I think the House would like such information as I am in a position to give it in regard to the Conferences of the Allies which have been meeting at Versailles, and about the important events of the past week. The Conferences were attended by Ministers representative of France, Italy, and Great Britain; by Colonel House, as representing the President of the United States; by a number of other Ministers of the Allied Governments; by the naval and military advisers of the Allied Governments, and by the representatives of Japan, Belgium, Serbia, Greece, and Portugal, and also of the Czecho-Slovaks.
The first matter to which the Supreme War Council gave its attention was the final elimination of Turkey from the war. The terms of the armistice with Turkey and the conditions under which it was signed have already been made public, and I need say little more on that subject. The conditions of the armistice not only deprived Germany of her Eastern Ally, but they give to the Allied Governments the command of the Black Sea—a matter of great importance from the point of view of the future conduct of the war.
Early last week the Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army sent a parlementaire across the lines to General Diaz, asking for the conditions upon which the Allies would grant an armistice. After the fullest consultation both with their naval and military advisers, the Supreme War Council agreed upon the conditions, and they were immediately despatched to General Diaz for transmission to the Austro-Hungarian Commander-in-Chief and Government. The terms as communicated to Austria-Hungary were as follows:—
§ Military Clauses
§ 1. The immediate cessation of hostilities by land, sea and air.
§ 2. Total demobilisation of the Austro-Hungarian Army and immediate withdrawal of all Austro-Hungarian forces operating on the front from the North Sea to Switzerland. Within Austro-Hungarian territory, limited as in Clause 3 below, there shall only be maintained as an 993 organised military force a maximum of twenty divisions, reduced to pre-war peace effectives. Half the Divisional, Corps and Army artillery and equipment shall be collected at points to be indicated by the Allies and United States of America for delivery to them, beginning with all such material as exists in the territories to be evacuated by the Austro-Hungarian forces.
§ 3. Evacuation of all territories invaded by Austria-Hungary since the beginning of war. Withdrawal within such periods as shall be determined by the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces on each front of the Austro-Hungarian Armies behind a line fixed so as to provide that the Austro-Hungarian Armies have to retire behind a line which affords a strategic safeguard for Italy's Alpine frontier. From the Swiss frontier this line follows the watershed of the Rhaetian, Carnic, and Julian Alps to the Gulf of Fiume (excluding the port of that name). It compels Austria-Hungary to evacuate all the Tyrol south of the Bemner Pass, and also to evacuate the Carso Plateau and the Istrian Peninsula. Further south the Austro-Hungarian forces have to evacuate the Province of Dalmatia and the Dalmatian Islands, with the exception of the islands in the Gulf of Spalato. All territories thus evacuated will be occupied by the troops of the Allies and of the United States of America. All military and railway equipment of all kinds (including coal), belonging to or within these territories, to be left in situ and surrendered to the Allies according to special orders given by the Commanders-in-Chief of the forces of the Associated Powers on the different fronts. No new destruction, pillage, or requisition to be done by enemy troops in the territories to be evacuated by them and occupied by the forces of the Associated Powers.
§ 4. The Allies shall have the right of free movement over all road and rail and waterways in Austro-Hungarian territory, and of the use of the necessary Austrian and Hungarian means of transportation. The Armies of the Associated Powers shall occupy such strategic points in Austria-Hungary at such times as they may deem necessary to enable them to conduct military operations or to maintain order. They shall have the right of requisition on payment for the troops of the Associated Powers wherever they may be.
§ 5. Complete evacuation of all German troops within fifteen days, not only from 994 the Italian and Balkan fronts, but from all Austro-Hungarian territory. Internment of all German troops which have not left Austria-Hungary within that date.
§ 6. The administration of the evacuated territories of Austria-Hungary will be entrusted to the local authorities under the control of the Allied and Associated Armies of occupation.
§ 7. The immediate repatriation without reciprocity of all Allied prisoners of war and interned subjects, and of civil populations evacuated from their homes, on conditions to be laid down by the Commanders-in-Chief of the forces of the Associated Powers on the various fronts.
§ 8. Sick and wounded who cannot be removed from evacuated territory will be cared for by Austro-Hungarian personnel who will be left on the spot with the medical material required.
§ Naval Conditions
§ 1. Immediate cessation of all hostilities at sea, and definite information to be given as to the location and movements of all Austro-Hungarian ships. Notification to be made to neutrals that freedom of navigation in all territorial waters is given to the Naval and Mercantile Marines of the Allied and Associated Powers, all questions of neutrality being waived.
§ 2. Surrender to the Allies and United States of America of fifteen Austro-Hungarian submarines, completed between the years 1910 and 1918, and of all German submarines which are in or may hereafter enter Austro-Hungarian territorial waters. All other Austro-Hungarian submarines to be paid off and completely disarmed, and to remain under the supervision of the Allies and United States of America.
§ 3. Surrender to the Allies and United States of America, with their complete armament and equipment, of three battleships, three light cruisers, nine destroyers, twelve torpedo boats, one minelayer, six Danube monitors, to be designated by the Allies and the United States of America. All other surface warships (including river craft) are to be concentrated in Austro-Hungarian naval bases to be designated by the Allies and the United States of America, and are to be paid off and completely disarmed and placed under the supervision of the Allies and United States of America.
995§ 4. Freedom of navigation to all warships and merchant ships of the Allied and Associated Powers to be given in the Adriatic and up the river Danube and its tributaries in the territorial waters and territory of Austria-Hungary. The Allies and Associated Powers shall have the right to sweep up all mine-fields and obstructions, and the positions of these are to be indicated. In order to ensure the freedom of navigation on the Danube, the Allies and the United States of America shall be empowered to occupy or to dismantle all fortifications or defence works.
§ 5. The existing Blockade conditions set up by the Allied and Associated Powers are to remain unchanged, and all Austro-Hungarian merchant ships found at sea are to remain liable to capture, save exceptions which may be made by a Commission nominated by the Allies and United States of America.
§ 6. All Naval aircraft are to be concentrated and immobilised in Austro-Hungarian bases to be designated by the Allies and United States of America.
§ 7. Evacuation of all the Italian coasts and of all ports occupied by Austria-Hungary outside their national territory, and the abandonment of all floating craft, naval materials, equipment, and materials for inland navigation of all kinds.
§ 8. Occupation by the Allies and the United States of America of the land and sea fortifications and the islands which form the defences and of the dockyards and arsenal at Pola.
§ 9. All merchant vessels held by Austria-Hungary belonging to the Allies and Associated Powers to be returned.
§ 10. No destruction of ships or of materials to be permitted before evacuation, surrender, or restoration.
§ 11. All naval and mercantile marine prisoners of war of the Allied and Associated Powers in Austor-Hungarian hands to be returned without reciprocity.
§ We gave the Austro-Hungarian Government until twelve midnight on Sunday to accept these terms. On Sunday afternoon we received the news that these conditions had been accepted, and that General Diaz had signed an armistice which was to come into operation on Monday—yesterday—at 3 p.m. The most important point about these terms is that they give to the Allies the free use of Austro-Hungarian territory and communications for the pur- 996 pose of operations of war. When we consider that the events of the past few weeks have liberated all the Allied forces which have hitherto been operating against Turkey, against Bulgaria, and against Austria-Hungary, to be used for the great converging final attack upon Germany, the full significance of the terms which I have just read will be apparent to all. I am glad to be able to announce that Marshal Foch, by the unanimous decision of the Governments concerned, has been placed in supreme strategic direction of all the forces operating against Germany on all fronts in this the last and decisive phase of the war.
§ There are two other remarks I should like to make on this subject. In the first place, I think we ought all to recognise the great debt of gratitude we owe to the Italian Army and to General Diaz for the great victory they have won. This victory means the final removal of the danger which has threatened Italian liberty and Italian security for many centuries. I would, therefore, ask the House to join me in expressing their heartfelt admiration and gratitude to the Italian Army and people for the great and invaluable victory they have just gained. I should like also to pay tribute to the very real part which has been taken in achieving this victory by the British troops under the command of Lord Cavan. They have played a rôle in this battle fully worthy of the unforgetable achievements of their compatriots on the Western Front.
§ The other thing I would like to do, my Lords, is to offer my congratulations to the Czecho-Slovak and Jugo-Slav peoples, who have thrown off the yoke of their oppressors and joined themselves openly with the Allies. These little nations, which have stood out so long and with such heroism against Germanic domination, may rest assured that the Allies intend to come to their aid as fast as they possibly can.
§ After thus disposing of the questions of the terms of armistice with Turkey and Austria-Hungary, the Supreme War Council proceeded to consider the answer which they should make to the Despatch of the President of the United States covering his correspondence from the German Government, which has been made public, and the reply that they should give to the German request for an armistice. I am unable to give the House any information on this subject further than to say that after the 997 fullest deliberation with their naval and military advisers, complete agreement was reached among the Allies. Their conclusions have been transmitted to the President of the United States, with the request that he should inform the German Government that if they wish to know the conditions of armistice upon which the Allies are agreed they should make the application to Marshal Foch in the usual military form. If an application is made, a British naval representative will be associated with Marshal Foch. Whatever the reply will be, the Associated Powers await the issue with perfect confidence.