THE COUNCIL OF FOUR


MR. HUEDsoN said the American Delegation on the Commission had
similarly only accepted the Italian proposal on the understanding
that there was a time-limit.
M. CLAvEiLLE was entirely in favour of the inclusion of Article
45 (now Article 26) in the Treaty. He pointed out that railway
rates were of three kinds:
(1) General tariffs.
(2) Special tariffs.
(3) Export tariffs.
The object of the Italian proposal was that the proportion which
the second and third categories bore to the first should be maintained
for the traffic in question, and he thought this should be a fairly
simple matter. He pointed out, however, that Article 61. A. (Article
42) did not mean that the clause would be revised after five years.
It simply meant that the clause would in any case remain in force
for five years and that after that time it would be revised only if the
Council of the League of Nations thought fit. As Italy was ready to
accept reciprocity he did not think they would risk losing anything
by allowing the reference to remain.
M. ORLANDO suggested that in the interests of the stability of trade
the period should be extended from five to ten years.
PRESIDENT WILSON emphasised that the clauses as they stood only
provided for the possible revision by the League after five years.
Inasmuch as Italy would be in the League of Nations he thought
their position was abundantly safeguarded.
In view of these explanations M. Orlando withdrew the Italian
proposal.
(3) MR. LLoYD GEORGE wished to raise a question of principle.
Austria and Hungary now became land-locked States without access
to the sea. They had just been discussing provisions suggested by
the Commission to protect Trieste, etc., against
Right of Access
of Austria to  attempts on the part of Austria or Hungary
the Sea     artificially to divert traffic from them. He wanted
to know whether there was any protection at all for Austria
and Hungary as regards their access to the sea being cut off by
artificial means. They have a right to get to the sea and he would
like to know whether that was safeguarded in the Commission's
suggested clauses.
M. CLAvFiT.i said that in the Commission's clauses there was no
such guarantee, but this would be given by the General Convention
which the Commission had been instructed by the Supreme Council
to prepare. Enemy States agreed beforehand in the Treaties to
accept this Convention, so that the general rights thereby conferred


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