Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1919. Treaties, Turkeys, Trains and Trends.

Today was American Thanksgiving  in 1919.

American Thanksgiving was celebrated at the time much as it is now, with a traditional turkey dinner and family gatherings. Where college football could be viewed, it was already a big Thanksgiving Day deal as well.  High school football games were as well, and were more likely to be viewed nearly anywhere.

Along with the news of the day, much of it pretty bad, the Casper Herald noted the day with a prayer on the front page and an homage to the turkey.

As the Casper Herald noted, Thanksgiving Day 1919 featured an epic history making snow storm, which principally pounded the western slope of Colorado.

Snowstorms, indeed all storms, of the era were more devastating than they are now, as the ability to predict them was much less developed.  Countering that to some degree, but only some, is that people tended to be much more prepared for them than they are now, as the unpredictability and greater requirement in all walks of life to simply be outdoors required that.  As heavy as the snow was, only one person lost their life as a result of it.

The news of the day continued on, of course.  The Union Pacific was pointing fingers at the state for the ongoing Carlisle episode.


And the US and Mexico remained in crisis over an arrested consulate officer.


Thanksgiving, of course, has its origins as a religious holiday.  It's usually attributed in North America to the Puritans, but in fact all Christian cultures have recognized a similar day of some sort for millennia.  With this in mind its interesting to note that the Denver Catholic Register published its November 1919 issue on this day.

The Catholic Register is a series of newspapers that the Catholic press has put out for quite some time, having its origin in the day when the general press was pretty hostile to Catholicism in general.  In this issue, a building issue, the role of women in society, was on the front page.


Reading the article, the headline was somewhat deceptive, as the Pope was in fact acknowledging the new role of women in society, while also actually expressing concern over how that fit in with women's traditional role. A decline in the standards of dress, which was in fact just beginning and which would develop in the 1920s, was also noted with concern.

While this seems almost quaint now, in a lot of ways, these issues have never really been worked out.  While expressions over standards of dress are more common in certain Protestant quarters today, you will see them occasionally in Catholic circles today, particularly in the pronouncements of some Bishops over the past few years.  Preserving the dignity of women's traditional roles also continues to be an ongoing issue, which hasn't really been resolved.


Another issue that showed up in the Denver Catholic Register was the "Americanization" of foreign born Catholics. This was a big deal in Catholic circles at the time and in fact was nationwide in all circles.  It runs quite counter to the view in Catholic circles today, and indeed in a lot of circles in the nation as well.

Of note, while this issue of the Register came out on Thanksgiving Day, a pre Thanksgiving Day advertisement from a clothing store downtown promised a free live turkey to men buying a certain suit or overcoat.  Hardly any Denverite would know what to do with a live turkey today.  The fact that a live turkey was an attractive inducement to purchase says a lot about how food was handled at the time, in the ice box era.





The Magnificent Ambersons was being serialized in the Register, which is really odd to think of.  I didn't realize that story dated back that far.  The story today is famous for the Orson Welles treatment of it in film, which deals with the decline and fall of a wealthy family at the dawn of the automobile era, which is directly tied to their fall.  It's surprising to see it in a 1919 newspaper, particularly as this was the era of rapid introduction of the automobile.  The novel, therefore, turns out to be more contemporary than I would have guessed.


I had intended to note here that some of my ancestors in Denver were likely subscribers to the Catholic Register at the time of this issue, but  then realized that they weren't in Denver yet. They were in Leadville.

Walt Wallet, in Gasoline Alley, was confronted with the problem that a lot of competent working men are, a desire by his fellows to put him back to work on a day off.  Otherwise, while some will claim that they can't recognize what's going on in the cartoon, the scene depicted is much like that in a lot of American homes a century later.



On this day Bulgaria entered into a peace treaty with the Allies, one of the various concluding treaties of the Great War.  This treaty is known as the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine for the location of its execution. The treaty required Bulgaria to to cede Western Thrace to the Entente (which awarded it to Greece at the San Remo conference), to sign a convention on population exchange with Greece, to cede an area on its western border with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia), which it was also required to recognize, to return Dobruja, to Romania, and to reduce its army to 20,000 men, to pay reparations of £100 million.

Bulgaria had thrown in with the Central Powers during the Great War and hence paid this penalty, one that was largely in keeping with the Wilsonian view of the post war world.  The treat was not popular in Bulgaria, where it became known as the Second National Catastrophe.

The text follows:

TREATY OF NEUILLY, AND PROTOCOL THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE BRITISH EMPIRE, FRANCE, ITALY and JAPAN.
These Powers being described in the present Treaty as the Principal Allied and Associated Powers;

BELGIUM, CHINA, CUBA, GREECE, THE HEDJAZ, POLAND, PORTUGAL, ROUMANIA, THE SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE, SIAM and CZECHO-SLOVAKIA,

These Powers constituting, with the Principal Powers mentioned above, the Allied and Associated Powers,

of the one part;


And BULGARIA,

of the other part;


Whereas on the request of the Royal Government of Bulgaria an Armistice was granted to Bulgaria on September 29, 1918, by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in order that a Treaty of Peace might be concluded, and


Whereas the Allied and Associated Powers are equally desirous that the war in which certain among them were successively involved, directly or indirectly, against Bulgaria, and which originated in the declaration of war against Serbia on July 28, 1914, by Austria-Hungary, and in the hostilities opened by Bulgaria against Serbia on October 11, 1915, and conducted by Germany in alliance with Austria-Hungary, with Turkey and with Bulgaria, should be replaced by a firm, just and durable Peace,


For this purpose the HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

The Honourable Frank Lyon POLK, Under-Secretary of State;
The Honourable Henry WHITE, formerly Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States at Rome and Paris;
General Tasker H. BLISS, Military Representative of the United States on the Supreme War Council;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND AND OF THE BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, EMPEROR OF INDIA:

Mr. Cecil HARMSWORTH, M.P., Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;

Sir Eyre CROWE, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., Minister Plenipotentiary, Assistant Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;

And

for the DOMINION of CANADA:

The Honourable Sir George Halsey PERLEY, K.C.M.G., High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom;


for the COMMONWEALTH of AUSTRALIA:

The Right Honourable Andrew FISHER, High Commissioner for Australia in the United Kingdom;


for the UNION of SOUTH AFRICA:

Mr. Reginald Andrew BLANKENBERG, O.B.E., Acting High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa in the United Kingdom;

for the DOMINION of NEW ZEALAND:

The Honourable Sir Thomas MACKENZIE, K.C.M.G., High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United Kingdom;

for INDIA:

Sir Eyre CROWE, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.


THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC:
Mr. Georges CLEMENCEAU, President of the Council, Minister of War;

Mr. Stephen PICHON, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
Mr. Louis-Lucien KLOTZ, Minister of Finance;

Mr. Andre TARDIEU, Commissary General for Franco-American Military Affairs;

Mr. Jules CAMBON, Ambassador of France;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF ITALY:

The Honourable Maggiorino FERRARIS, Senator of the Kingdom;

The Honourable Guglielmo MARCONI, Senator of the Kingdom;
Sir Giacomo de MARTINO, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary;


HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN:

Mr. K. MATSUI, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of H.M. the Emperor of Japan at Paris;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS:

Mr. Jules van den HEUVEL, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Minister of State;

Mr. ROLIN-JAEQUEMYNS, Member of the Institute of Private International Law, Secretary-General of the Belgian Delegation;


THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHINESE REPUBLIC:

Mr. Vikyuin Wellington Koo;

Mr. Sao-ke Alfred SZE;


THE PRESIDENT OF THE CUBAN REPUBLIC:

Dr. Rafael Martinez ORTIZ, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Cuban Republic at Paris;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE HELLENES;

Mr. Elefthérios VENISÉLOS, President of the Council of Ministers;

Mr. Nicolas POLITIS, Minister for Foreign Affairs;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE HEDJAZ:

Mr. Rustem HAIDAR;

Mr. Abdul Hadi AOUNI;


THE PRESIDENT OF THE POLISH REPUBLIC:

Mr. Ladislas GRABSKI;

Mr. Stanislas PATEK, Minister Plenipotentiary;


THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC:

Dr. Affonso DA COSTA, formerly President of the Council of Ministers;

Mr. Jayme BATALHA REIS, Minister Plenipotentiary,


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF ROUMANIA:

Mr. Victor ANTONESCO, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of H.M. the King of Roumania at Paris;

General Constantin COANDA, Corps Commander, A.D.C. to the King, formerly President of the Council of Ministers;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE SERBS, THE CROATS, AND THE SLOVENES:

Mr. Nicolas P. PACHITCH, formerly President of the Council of Ministers;

Mr. Ante TRUMBIĆ, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

Mr. IVAN ZOLGER, Doctor of Law;


HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SIAM:

His Highness Prince CHAROON, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of H.M. the King of Siam at Paris;


THE PRESIDENT OF THE CZECHO-SLOVAK REPUBLIC:

Mr. Eduard BENES, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

Mr. Stephen OSUSKY, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Czecho-Slovak Republic at London;


BULGARIA:

Mr. Alexander STAMABOLISKI, President of the Council of Ministers, Minister of War;


WHO, having communicated their full powers, found in good and due form, have AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

From the coming into force of the present Treaty the state of war will terminate.


From that moment, and subject to the provisions of the present Treaty, official relations will exist between the Allied and Associated Powers and Bulgaria.


PART I.

THE COVENANT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
ARTICLES 1 TO 26 AND ANNEX
(See Part 1, Treaty of Versailless, Pages 10-23.)

PART II.


FRONTIERS OF BULGARIA.


ARTICLE 27.

The frontiers of Bulgaria shall be fixed as follows:


I. With the Serb-Croat-Slovene State:


Fom the confluence of the Timok and the Danube, which is the point common to the three frontiers of Bulgaria, Roumania and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, southwards to a point to be selected on the course of the Timok near point 38 west of Bregovo,

the course of the Timok upstream;
thence south-westwards to the point east of Vk. Izvor, where the old frontier between Serbia and Bulgaria meets the river Bezdanica,

a line to be fixed on the ground passing through points 274 and 367, following generally the watershed between the basins of the Timok on the north-west and the Delejna and Topolovitsa on the south-east, leaving to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State Kojilovo, Sipikovo and Halovo with the road connecting the two latter places, and to Bulgaria Bregovo, Rakitnica and Kosovo;

thence southwards to point 1720, about 12 kilometres west- south-west of Berkovitsa,

the old frontier between Bulgaria and Serbia;

thence south-eastwards for about 134 kilometres to point 1929 (Srebrena gl.),

a line to be fixed on the crest of the Kom Balkan;

thence south-south-westwards to point l109, on the Vidlic Gora south of Vlkovija,

a line to be fixed on the ground passing through points 1602 and 1344, passing east of Grn. Krivodol and crossing the river Komstica about 1 1/2 kilometres above Dl. Krivodol;

thence to a point on the Tsaribrod-Sofiya road immediately west of its junction with the road to Kalotina,

a line to be fixed on the ground passing east of Mozgos, west of Staninci, east of Brebevnica and through point 738 north-east of Lipinci;


thence west-south-westwards to a point to be selected on the course of the river Lukavica about l,l00 metres north-east of Slivnica,

a line to be fixed on the ground;

thence southwards to the confluence, west of Visan, of the Lukavica with the stream on which Dl. Nevlja is situated,

the course of the Lukavica upstream;


thence south-westwards to the confluence of a stream with the Jablanica, west of Vrabca,


a line to be fixed on the ground passing through point 879 and cutting the road from Trn to Tsaribrod immediately south of the junction of this road with the direct road from Trn to Pirot;


thence northwards to the confluence of the Jablanica and the Jerma (Trnska),


the course of the Jablanica;

thence westwards to a point to be selected on the old frontier at the salient near Descani Kladenac,


a line to be fixed on the ground following the crest of the Ruj Planina and passing through points 1199,1466, and 1706;

thence south-westwards to point 1516 (Golema Rudina) about 17 kilometres west of Trn,


the old Serb-Bulgarian frontier;


thence southwards to a point to be selected on the river Jerma (Trnska) east of Strezimirovci,


a line to be fixed on the ground;


thence southwards to the river Dragovishtitsa immediately below the confluence of rivers near point 672,

a line to be fixed on the ground passing west of Dzincovci, through points 1112 and 1329, following the watershed between the basins of the rivers Bozicka and Meljanska and passing through points 1731, 1671, 1730 and 1058;

thence south-westwards to the old Serb-Bulgarian frontier at point 1333, about l0 kilometres north-west of the point where the road from Kriva (Egri)-Palanka to Kyustendil cuts this frontier,


a line to be fixed on the ground following the watershed between the Dragovishtitsa on the north-west and the Lomnica and Sovolstica on the south-east;

thence south-eastwards to point 1445 on the Males Planina south-west of Dobrilaka,


the old Serb-Bulgarian frontier;

thence south-south-westwards to Tumba (point 1253) on the Belashitza Planina, the point of junction of the three frontiers of Greece, Bulgaria and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, a line to be fixed on the ground passing through point 1600 on the Ograjden Planina, passing east of Stinek and Badilen, west of Bajkovo, cutting the Strumitsa about 3 kilometres east of point 177, and passing east of Gabrinovo.


2. With Greece:


From the point defined above eastwards to the point where it leaves the watershed between the basins of the Mesta-Karasu on the south and the Maritsa (Marica) on the north near point 1587 (Dibikli),

the frontier of 1913 between Bulgaria and Greece,


3. On the South, with territories which shall be subsequently attributed by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers:


Thence eastwards to point 1295 situated about 18 kilometres west of Kuchuk-Derbend


a line to be fixed on the ground following the watershed between the basin of the Maritsa on the north, and the basins of the Mesta-Karasu and the other rivers which flow directly into the Ægean Sea on the south;


thence eastwards to a point to be chosen on the frontier of 1913 between Bulgaria and Turkey about 4 kilometres north of Kuchuk-Derbend,


a line to be fixed on the ground following as nearly as possible the crest line forming the southern limit of the basin of the Akcehisar (Dzuma) Suju;


thence northwards to the point where it meets the river Maritsa,


the frontier of 1913;


thence to a point to be chosen about 3 kilometres below the railway station of Hadi-K. (Kadiko;),


the principal course of the Maritsa downstream;


thence northwards to a point to be chosen on the apex of the salient formed by the frontier of the Treaty of Sofia, 1915, about 10 kilometres east-south-east of Jisr Mustafa Pasha,


a line to be fixed on the ground;


thence eastwards to the Black Sea,


the frontierof the Treaty of Sofia, 1915, then the frontier of 1913.


4 The Black Sea.


5. With Roumania:


From the Black Sea to the Danube,


the frontier existing on August 1, 1914;


thence to the confluence of the Timok and the Danube,


the principal channel of navigation of the Danube upstream.


ARTICLE 28.


The frontiers described by the present Treaty are traced, for such parts as are defined, on the one-in-a-million map attached to the present Treaty. In case of differences between the text and the map, the text will prevail. [See Introduction ]


ARTICLE 29.

Boundary Commissions, whose composition is or will be fixed in the present Treaty or any other Treaty between the Principal Allied and Associated Powers and the, or any, interested Powers, will have to trace these frontiers on the ground.


They shall have the power, not only of fixing those portions which are defined as "a line to be fixed on the ground," but also, where a request to that effect is made by one of the Powers concerned, and the Commission is satisfied that it is desirable to do so, of revising portions defined by administrative boundaries; this shall not, however, apply in the case of international frontiers existing in August, 1914, where the task of the Commission will confine itself to the re-establishment of sign-posts and boundary-marks. They shall endeavour in both cases to follow as nearly as possible the descriptions given in the Treaties, taking into account as far as possible administrative boundaries and local economic interests.


The decisions of the Commissions will be taken by a majority, and shall be binding on the parties concerned.


The expenses of the Boundary Commissions shall be borne in equal shares by the two States concerned.


ARTICLE 30.


In so far as frontiers defined by a waterway are concerned, the phrases "course" or "channel" used in the descriptions of the present Treaty signify, as regards non-navigable rivers, the median line of the waterway or of its principal branch, and, as regards navigable rivers, the median line of the principal channel of navigation It will rest with the Boundary Commissions provided for by the present Treaty to specify whether the frontier line shall follow any changes of the course or channel which may take place, or whether it shall be definitely fixed by the position of the course or channel at the time when the present Treaty comes into force.


ARTICLE 31.


The various Powers interested undertake to furnish to the Commissions all documents necessary for their tasks, especially authentic copies of agreements fixing existing or old frontiers, all large scale maps in existence, geodetic data, surveys completed but unpublished, and information concerning the changes of frontier watercourses.


They also undertake to instruct the local authorities to communicate to the Commissions all documents, especially plans, cadastral and land books, and to furnish on demand all details regarding property, existing economic conditions, and other necessary information.


ARTICLE 32.


The various Powers interested undertake to give every assistance to the Boundary Commissions, whether directly or through local authorities, in everything that concerns transport, accommodation, labour, material (signposts, boundary pillars) necessary for the accomplishment of their mission.


ARTICLE 33.


The various Powers interested undertake to safeguard the trigonometrical points, signals, posts or frontier marks erected by the Commissions.


ARTICLE 34.


The pillars will be placed so as to be intervisible; they will be numbered, and their position and their number will be noted on a cartographic document.


ARTICLE 35.


The protocols defining the boundary and the maps and documents attached thereto will be made out in triplicate, of which two copies will be forwarded to the Governments of the limitrophe Powers and the third to the Government of the French Republic, which will deliver authentic copies to the Powers who sign the present Treaty.


PART III.
POLITICAL CLAUSES.


SECTION I.

SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE.
ARTICLE 36.


Bulgaria, in conformity with the action already taken by the Allied and Associated Powers, recognises the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.


ARTICLE 37.
Bulgaria renounces in favour of the Serb-Croat-Slovene State all rights and title over the territories of the Bulgarian Monarchy situated outside the frontiers of Bulgaria as laid down in Article 27, Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), and recognised by the present Treaty, or by any Treaties concluded for the purpose of completing the present settlement, as forming part of the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.


ARTICLE 38.


A Commission consisting of seven members, five nominated by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, one by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, and one by Bulgaria, shall be constituted within fifteen days from the coming into force of the present Treaty to trace on the spot the frontier line described in Article 27 (1), Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria).


ARTICLE 39.


Bulgarian nationals habitually resident in the territories assigned to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State will acquire Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality ipso facto and will lose their Bulgarian nationality.


Bulgarian nationals, however, who became resident in these territories after January 1, 1913, will not acquire Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality without a permit from the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.


ARTICLE 40.


Within a period of two years from the coming into force of the present Treaty, Bulgarian nationals over 18 years of age and habitually resident in the territories which are assigned to the Serb-Croat-Slovene State in accordance with the present Treaty will be entitled to opt for their former nationality. Serb-Croat-Slovenes over 18 years of age who are Bulgarian nationals and habitually resident in Bulgaria will have a similar right to opt for Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality.


Option by a husband will cover his wife and option by parents will cover their children under 18 years of age.


Persons who have exercised the above right to opt must within the succeeding twelve months transfer their place of residence to the State for which they have opted.


They will be entitled to retain their immovable property in the territory of the other State where they had their place of residence before exercising their right to opt. They may carry with them their movable property of every description. No export or import duties may be imposed upon them in connection with the removal of such property.


Within the same period Serb-Croat-Slovenes who are Bulgarian nationals and are in a foreign country will be entitled, in the absence of any provisions to the contrary in the foreign law, and if they have not acquired the foreign nationality, to obtain Serb-Croat-Slovene nationality and lose their Bulgarian nationality by complying with the requirements laid down by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.


ARTICLE 41.


The proportion and nature of the financial obligations of Bulgaria which the Serb-Croat-Slovene State will have to assume on account of the territory placed under its sovereignty will be determined in accordance with Article 141, Part VIII (Financial Clauses), of the present Treaty.


Subsequent agreements will decide all questions which are not decided by the present Treaty and which may arise in consequence of the cession of the said territory.


SECTION II.

GREECE.


ARTICLE 42.


Bulgaria renounces in favour of Greece all rights and title over the territories of the Bulgarian Monarchy situated outside the frontiers of Bulgaria as laid down in Article 27, Part 11 (Frontiers of Bulgaria), and recognised by the present Treaty, or by any Treaties concluded for the purpose of completing the present settlement, as forming part of Greece.


ARTICLE 43.


A Commission consisting of seven members, five nominated by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, one by Greece, and one by Bulgaria, will be appointed fifteen days after the coming into force of the present Treaty to trace on the spot the frontier line described in Article 27 (2), Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), of the present Treaty.


ARTICLE 44.


Bulgarian nationals habitually resident in the territories assigned to Greece will obtain Greek nationality ipso facto and will lose their Bulgarian nationality.


Bulgarian nationals, however, who became resident in these territories after January 1, 1913, will not acquire Greek nationality without a permit from Greece.


ARTICLE 45.


Within a period of two years from the coming into force of the present Treaty, Bulgarian nationals over 18 years of age and habitually resident in the territories assigned to Greece in accordance with the present Treaty will be entitled to opt for Bulgarian nationality.


Option by a husband will cover his wife and option by parents will cover their children under 18 years of age.


Persons who have exercised the above right to opt must within the succeeding twelve months transfer their place of residence to the State for which they have opted.


They will be entitled to retain their immovable property in the territory of the other State where they had their place of residence before exercising their right to opt. They may carry with them their movable property of every description. No export or import duties may be imposed upon them in connection with the removal of such property.


ARTICLE 46.


Greece accepts and agrees to embody in a Treaty with the Principal Allied and Associated Powers such provisions as may be deemed necessary by these Powers to protect the interests of inhabitants of that State who differ from the majority of the population in race, language or religion.


Greece further accepts and agrees to embody in a Treaty with the Principal Allied and Associated Powers such provisions as these Powers may deem necessary to protect freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of other nations.


ARTICLE 47.


The proportion and nature of the financial obligations of Bulgaria which Greece will have to assume on account of the territory placed under her sovereignty will be determined in accordance with Article 141, Part Vlll (Financial Clauses), of the present Treaty.


Subsequent agreements will decide all questions which are not decided by the present Treaty and which may arise in consequence of the cession of the said territory.


SECTION III.
THRACE.


ARTICLE 48.


Bulgaria renounces in favour of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers all rights and title over the territories in Thrace which belonged to the Bulgarian Monarchy and which, being situated outside the new frontiers of Bulgaria as described in Article 27 (3), Part II (Frontiers of Bulgaria), have not been at present assigned to any State.


Bulgaria undertakes to accept the settlement made by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in regard to these territories, particularly in so far as concerns the nationality of the inhabitants.


The Principal Allied and Associated Powers undertake to ensure the economic outlets of Bulgaria to the Ægean Sea.


The conditions of this guarantee will be fixed at a later date.


SECTION IV.
PROTECTION OF MINORITIES.


ARTICLE 49.


Bulgaria undertakes that the stipulations contained in this Section shall be recognised as fundamental laws, and that no law, regulation or official action shall conflict or interfere with these stipulations, nor shall any law, regulation or official action prevail over them.


ARTICLE 50.


Bulgaria undertakes to assure full and complete protection of life and liberty to all inhabitants of Bulgaria without distinction of birth, nationality, language, race or religion.


All inhabitants of Bulgaria shall be entitled to the free exercise, whether public or private of any creed, religion or belief, whose practices are not inconsistent with public order or public morals.


ARTICLE 51.


Bulgaria admits and declares to be Bulgarian nationals ipso facto and without the requirement of any formality all persons who are habitually resident within Bulgarian territory at the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty and who are not nationals of any other State.


ARTICLE 52.


All persons born in Bulgarian territory who are not born nationals of another State shall ipso facto become Bulgarian nationals.


ARTICLE 53.


All Bulgarian nationals shall be equal before the law and shall enjoy the same civil and political rights without distinction as to race, language or religion.


Difference of religion, creed or profession shall not prejudice any Bulgarian national in matters relating to the enjoyment of civil or political rights, as for instance admission to public employments, functions and honours, or the exercise of professions and industries.


No restriction shall be imposed on the free use by any Bulgarian national of any language in private intercourse, in commerce, in religion, in the press or in publications of any kind, or at public meetings.


Notwithstanding any establishment by the Bulgarian Government of an offficial language, adequate facilities shall be given to Bulgarian nationals of non-Bulgarian speech for the use of their language, either orally or in writing, before the Courts.


ARTICLE 54.


Bulgarian nationals who belong to racial, religious or linguistic minorities shall enjoy the same treatment and security in law and in fact as the other Bulgarian nationals. In particular they shall have an equal right to establish, manage and control at their own expense charitable, religious and social institutions schools and other educational establishments, with the right to use their own language and to exercise their religion freely therein.


ARTICLE 55


Bulgaria will provide in the public educational system in towns and districts in which a considerable proportion of Bulgarian nationals of other than Bulgarian speech are resident adequate facilities for ensuring that in the primary schools the instruction shall be given to the children of such Bulgarian nationals through the medium of their own language. This provision shall not prevent the Bulgarian Government from making the teaching of the Bulgarian language obligatory in the said schools.


In towns and districts where there is a considerable proportion of Bulgarian nationals belonging to racial, religious or linguistic minorities, these minorities shall be assured an equitable share in the enjoyment and application of sums which may be provided out of public funds under the State, municipal or other budgets, for educational, religious or charitable purposes.


ARTICLE 56.


Bulgaria undertakes to place no obstacles in the way of the exercise of the right which persons may have under the present Treaty, or under the treaties concluded by the Allied and Associated Powers with Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia or Turkey, or with any of the Allied and Associated Powers themselves, to choose whether or not they will recover Bulgarian nationality.


Bulgaria undertakes to recognise such provisions as the Principal Allied and Associated Powers may consider opportune with respect to the reciprocal and voluntary emigration of persons belonging to racial minorities.


ARTICLE 57.


Bulgaria agrees that the stipulations in the foregoing Articles of this Section, so far as they affect persons belonging to racial, religious or linguistic minorities, constitute obligations of international concern and shall be placed under the guarantee of the League of Nations. They shall not be modified without the assent of a majority of the Council of the League of Nations. The Allied and Associated Powers represented on the Council severally agree not to withhold their assent from any modification in these Articles which is in due form assented to by a majority of the Council of the League of Nations.


Bulgaria agrees that any Member of the Council of the League of Nations shall have the right to bring to the attention of the Council any infraction, or any danger of infraction, of any of these obligations, and that the Council may thereupon take such action and give such direction as it may deem proper and effective in the circumstances.


Bulgaria further agrees that any difference of opinion as to questions of law or fact arising out of these Articles between the Bulgarian Government and any one of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, or any other Power, a Member of the Council of the League of Nations, shall be held to be a dispute of an international character under Article 14 of the Covenant of the League of Nations. The Bulgarian Government hereby consents that any such dispute shall, if the other party thereto demands, be referred to the Permanent Court of International Justice. The decision of the Permanent Court shall be final and shall have the same force and effect as an award under Article 13 of the Covenant.


SECTION V.
GENERAL PROVISIONS.


ARTICLE 58.


Bulgaria undertakes to recognise the full force of all treaties or agreements which may be entered into by the Allied and Associated Powers with States now existing or coming into existence in future in the whole or part of the former Empire of Russia as it existed on August 1, 1914, and to recognise the frontiers of any such States as determined therein.


Bulgaria acknowledges and agrees to respect as permanent and inalienable the independence of the said States.


In accordance with the provisions of Article 143, Part Vlll (Financial Clauses), and Article 171, Part IX (Economic Clauses) of the present Treaty, Bulgaria accepts definitely the abrogation of the Brest-Litovsk Treaties and of all treaties, conventions and agreements entered into by her with the Maximalist Government in Russia.


The Allied and Associated Powers formally reserve the rights ot Russia to obtain from Bulgaria restitution and reparation based on the principles of the present Treaty.


ARTICLE 59.


Bulgaria hereby recognises and accepts the frontiers of Austria Greece, Hungary, Poland, Roumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State and the Czecho-Slovak State as these frontiers may be determined by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


ARTICLE 60.


Bulgaria undertakes to recognise the full force of the Treaties of Peace and additional conventions which have been or may be concluded by the Allied and Associated Powers with the Powers who fought on the side of Bulgaria, and to recognise whatever dispositions have been or may be made concerning the territories of the former German Empire, of Austria, of Hungary, and of the Ottoman Empire, and to recognise the new States within their frontiers as there laid down.


ARTICLE 61.


No inhabitant of territory ceded by Bulgaria under the present Treaty shall be disturbed or molested on account of his political attitude after July 28, 1914, or of the determination of his nationality effected in accordance with the present Treaty.


ARTICLE 62.


Bulgaria declares that she recognises the French Protectorate in Morocco, and that she will make no claim on behalf of herself or her nationals to the benefits or immunities derived from the regime of the capitulations in Morocco. All treaties, agreements, arrangements and contracts concluded by Bulgaria with Morocco are regarded as abrogated as from October 1l, 1915.


Moroccan goods entering Bulgaria shall enjoy the treatment accorded to French goods.


ARTICLE 63.


Bulgaria declares that she recognises the Protectorate proclaimed over Egypt by Great Britain on December 18, 1914, and that she will make no claim on behalf of herself or her nationals to the benefits or immunities derived from the regime of the capitulations in Egypt. All treaties, agreements, arrangements and contracts concluded by Bulgaria with Egypt are regarded as abrogated as from October 1l, 1915.


Egyptian goods entering Bulgaria shall enjoy the treatment accorded to British goods.


PART IV.
MILITARY, NAVAL AND AIR CLAUSES.


In order to render possible the initiation of a general limitation of the armaments of all nations, Bulgaria undertakes strictly to observe the military, naval and air clauses which follow.


SECTION 1.
MILITARY CLAUSES.
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL.
ARTICLE 64.


Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty, the military forces of Bulgaria shall be demobilized to the extent prescribed hereinafter.


ARTICLE 65.


Universal compulsory military service shall be abolished in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Army shall in future only be constituted and recruited by means of voluntary enlistment.


CHAPTER I I .
EFFECTIVES AND CADRES OF THE BULGARIAN ARMY.
ARTICLE 66.


The total number of military forces in the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed 20,000 men, including officers and depot troops.


The formations composing the Bulgarian Army shall be fixed in accordance with the wishes of Bulgaria, subject to the following reservations:


(1) The effectives of units shall be compulsorily fixed between the maximum and minimum figures shown in Table IV annexed to the present Section.


(2) The proportion of officers, including the personnel of staffs and special services, shall not exceed one-twentieth of the total effectives with the colours, and that of non-commissioned offficers shall not exceed one-fifteenth of the total effectives with the colours.


(3) The number of machine guns, guns and howitzers shall not exceed those fixed in Table V annexed to the present Section per thousand men of the total effectives with the colours.


The Bulgarian Army shall be exclusively employed for the maintenance of order within Bulgarian territory and for the control of the frontiers.


ARTICLE 67.


In no case shall units be formed of greater size than a division, the latter being in accordance with Tables I, II, and IV annexed to the present Section. The maximum size of the staffs and of all formations are given in the Tables annexed to the present Section; these figures need not be exactly followed, but they must not in any case be exceeded.


The maintenance or formation of any other group of forces, as well as any other organisation concerned with military command or war preparation, is forbidden.


Each of the following units may have a depot:

A regiment of Infantry;

A regiment of Cavalry;

A regiment of Field Artillery;

A battalion of Pioneers.

ARTICLE 68


All measures of mobilisation or appertaining to mobilisation are forbidden.


Formations, administrative services and staffs must not in any case include supplementary cadres.


It is forbidden to carry out any preparatory measures for the requisition of animals or any other means of military transport.


ARTICLE 69.


The number of gendarmes, customs offficials, forest guards, local or municipal police or other like offficials shall be fixed by the Inter-Allied Military Commission of Control referred to in Article 98, and shall not exceed the number of men employed in a similar capacity in 19ll within the territorial limits of Bulgaria as fixed in accordance with the present Treaty. In no case shall the number of these officials who are armed with rifles exceed 10,000.


The number of these officials may only be increased in the future in proportion to the increase of population in the localities or municipalities which employ them.


These officials, as well as those employed in the railway service, must not be assembled for the purpose of taking part in any military exercises.


In addition, Bulgaria may establish a special corps of frontier guards, which must be recruited by means of voluntary enlistment and must not exceed 3,000 men, so that the total number of rifles in use in Bulgaria shall not exceed 33,000.


ARTICLE 70.


Any military formation not dealt with in the above Articles is forbidden. Such other formations as may exist in excess of the effectives authorised shall be suppressed within the period laid down in Article 64.


CHAPTER I I I .
RECRUITING AND MILITARY TRAINING.


ARTICLE 71.


All officers, including the gendarmerie, customs, forest and other services must be regulars (officers de carriere). Officers at present serving who are retained in the army, gendarmerie or the above-mentioned services must undertake to serve at least up to the age of 40. Officers at present serving who do not join the new army, gendarmerie or the above-mentioned services shall be free from any military obligations. They must not take part in any military exercises, theoretical or practical.


Officers newly appointed must undertake to serve on the active list of the army, gendarmerie or the above-mentioned services for at least 20 consecutive years.


The proportion of officers leaving the service for any cause before the expiration of their term of engagement must not exceed in any year one-twentieth of the total effectives of officers provided by Article 66. If this percentage is unavoidably exceeded, the resulting deficit in the cadres shall not be filled up by new appointments.


ARTICLE 72.


The total length of engagement of non-commissioned officers and men shall not be less than 12 years consecutive service with the colours.


The proportion of men dismissed before the expiration of their term of service for reasons of health or discipline or for any other cause must not exceed in any year one-twentieth of the total effectives fixed by Article 66. If this number is unavoidably exceeded, the resulting deficit shall not be filled by fresh enlistments.


CHAPTER IV.
SCHOOLS, EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISMENTS, MILITARY CLUBS AND SOCIETIES.


ARTICLE 73.


On the expiration of three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty there must only exist in Bulgaria one military school, strictly set apart for the recruitment of officers for the authorised units.


The number of students admitted to instruction in the said school shall be strictly in proportion to the vacancies to be filled in the officer cadres. The students and the cadres shall be reckoned as part of the effectives fixed by Article 66.


Consequently, within the time fixed above, all military colleges or similar institutions in Bulgaria, as well as the various schools for officers, student officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers or student non-commissioned officers, other than the school above provided for, shall be abolished.


ARTICLE 74


Educational establishments, other than those referred to in Article 73 above, universities, societies of discharged soldiers, touring clubs, boy scouts' societies, and associations or clubs of every description, must not occupy themselves with any military matters. They will on no account be allowed to instruct or exercise their pupils or members in the use of arms.


These educational establishments, societies, clubs or other associations must have no connection with the Ministry of War or any other military authority.


ARTICLE 75.


In schools and educational establishments of every description, whether under State control or private management, the teaching of gymnastics shall not include any instruction or drill in the use of arms or training for war.


CHAPTER V.
ARMAMENT, MUNITIONS AND MATERIAL, FORTIFICATIONS.


ARTICLE 76.


On the expiration of three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the armament of the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed the figures fixed per thousand men in Table V annexed to the present Section.


Any excess in relation to effectives shall only be used for such replacements as may eventually be necessary.


ARTICLE 77.


The stock of munitions at the disposal of the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed the amounts fixed in Table V annexed to the present Section,


Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the Bulgarian Government shall deposit any existing surplus of armament and munitions in such places as shall be notified to it by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


No other stock, depot or reserve of munitions shall be formed.


ARTICLE 78.


The number and calibre of guns constituting the fixed normal armament of fortified places existing at the present moment in Bulgaria shall be immediately notified to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, and will constitute maximum amounts which may not be exceeded.


Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the maximum stock of ammunition for these guns will be reduced to and maintained at the following uniform rates:


1,500 rounds per gun for those the calibre of which is 105 mm. and under;


500 rounds per gun for those of higher calibre.


No new fortifications or fortified places shall be constructed in Bulgaria.


ARTICLE 79.


The manufacture of arms, munitions and of war material shall only be carried on in one single factory, which shall be controlled by and belong to the State, and whose output shall be strictly limited to the manufacture of such arms, munitions and war material as is necessary for the military forces and armaments referred to in Articles 66, 69, 77 and 78 above.


Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty all other establishments for the manufacture, preparation, storage or design of arms, munitions or any other war material shall be abolished or converted to purely commercial uses.


Within the same length of time all arsenals shall also be suppressed, except those to be used as depots for the authorised stocks of munitions, and their staffs discharged.


The plant of any establishments or arsenals existing in excess of the needs of the authorised manufacture shall be rendered useless or converted to purely commercial uses, in accordance with the decisions of the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control referred to in Article 98.


ARTICLE 80.


Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty all arms, munitions and war material, including any kind of anti-aircraft material, of whatever origin, existing in Bulgaria in excess of the authorised quantity shall be handed over to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


This delivery shall take place at such points in Bulgarian territory as may be appointed by the said Powers, who shall also decide on the disposal of such material.


ARTICLE 81.


The importation into Bulgaria of arms, munitions and war material of all kinds is forbidden.


The manufacture for foreign countries and the exportation of arms, munitions and war material shall also be forbidden.


ARTICLE 82.


The use of flame throwers, asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all similar liquids, materials or processes being prohibited, their manufacture and importation are strictly forbidden in Bulgaria.


Material specially intended for the manufacture, storage or use of the said products or processes is equally forbidden.


The manufacture and importation into Bulgaria of armoured cars, tanks, or any similar machines suitable for use in war are equally forbidden.


TABLE 1.
COMPOSITION AND MAXIMUM EFFECTIVES OF AN INFANTRY DIVISION


Maximum Effective of each unit.

Units.

Officers.........................Men.


Headquarters of an infantry division
......25......................70
Headquarters of divisional infantry
.......5......................50
Headquarters of divisional artillery
.......4......................30
3 regiments of infantry* (on the basis of 65 officers and 2,000 men per regiment)
.....195.................6,000
1 squadron
..........6....................160
1 battalion of trench artillery (3 companies)
..14....................500
1 battalion of pioneers**
........14....................500
Regiment field artillery***
.........80.................1,200
1 battalion cyclists (comprising 3 companies)
18....................450
1 signal detachment****
..........11....................330
Divisional medical corps
..........28....................550
Divisional parks and trains
............4....................940
Total for an infantry division .................. 414...............10,780




*Each regiment comprises 3 battalions of infantry. Each battalion comprises 3 companies of infantry and 1 machine gun company.
**Each battalion comprises 1 headquarters, 2 pioneer companies, 1 bridging section, 1 searchlight section.
***Each regiment comprises 1 headquarters, 3 groups of field or mountain artillery, comprising 8 batteries, each battery comprising 4 guns or howitzers (field or mountain).
****This detachment comprises: telegraph and telephone detachment. 1 listening sectlon, 1 carrier pigeon section.

TABLE II.
COMPOSITION AND MAXIMUM EFFECTIVES FOR A CAVALRY DIVISION


Units

Maximum Number Authorised........Maximum effectives of each unit
........Officers.............Men.
Headquarters of a cavalry division
...........................l...............................15.................50
Regiment of cavalry*
.........................6...............................30...............720
Group of field artillery (3 batteries)
..........................1...............................30...............430
Group of motor machine-guns and armoured cars**
........................l.................................4.................80
Miscellaneous services
...........................................................30..............500
Total for a cavalry division of six regiments...........................................259...........5,380


*Each regiment comprises 4 squadrons.
**Each group comprises 9 fighting cars, each carrying 1 gun, 1 machine gun and 1 spare machine gun, 4 communication cars, 2 small lorrles for stores, 7 lorries, induding 1 repair lorry, 4 motor cycles.
Note.-The large cavalry units may include a variable number of regiments and be divided into independent brigades within the limit of the effectives laid down above.


TABLE III

COMPOSITION AND MAXIMUM EFFECTIVES FOR A MIXED BRIGADE.


Units

Maximum effectives of each unit.
Officers........................ Men.


Headquarters of a brigade
.....................10..............................50
2 regiments of infantry*
..................130.........................4,000
1 cyclist battalion (3 companies)
....................18............................450
1 cavalry squadron
......................5............................100
1 group field or mountain artillery (3 batteries)
.20...........................400
1 trench mortar company
......................5...........................150
Miscellaneous services
....................10.......................... 200


Total for mixed brigade ..................198........................5,350




*Each regiment comprises 3 battalions of Infantry. Each battallon comprises 3 companies of infantry and 1 machine gun company.
TABLE IV.
MINIMUM EFFECTIVES OF UNITS WHATEVER ORGANISATION IS ADOPTED IN THE ARMY.
(Divisions, Mixed Brigades, etc.)


Units


Maximum effectives (for reference)..........Minimum effectives.
Officers.....Men.................Officers....Men
Infantry division
414........l0,780........300..........8,000
Cavalry division
259.........5,380.......180........3,650
Mixed brigade
198.........5,350.......140........4,250
Regiment of infantry
65..........2,000.........52........1,600
Battalion of infantry
16.............650.........12...........500
Company of infantry or machine guns
3.............160...........2............120
Cyclist group
18.............450.........12............300
Regiment of cavalry
30.............720..........20............450
Squadron of cavalry
6..............160............3............100
Regiment of artillery
80..........1,200..........60........1,000
Battery of field artillery
4.............150............2...........120
Company of trench mortars
3.............150............2...........100
Battalion of pioneers
14.............500............8...........300
Battery of mountain artillery
5.............320............3............200



TABLE V.

MAXIMUM AUTHORISED ARMAMENTS AND MUNITION SUPPLIES


Materiel.
Quantity for 1,000 Men....Amount of Muitions per Arm (rifles, guns, etc.)


Rifles or carbines*
1,150......................... 500 rounds
Machine guns, heavy or light
15...................... l0,000 rounds
Trench mortars, light
2...........................500 rounds
Trench mortars, medium
2.......................... 500 rounds
Guns or howitzers (field or mountain).
3........................1,000 rounds





*Automatic rifles or carbines are counted as light machine guns.


Note.-No heavy gun, i. e., of a calibre greater than 105 mm., is authorised, wlth the exception of the normal armament of fortified places.



SECTION II.
NAVAL CLAUSES.
ARTICLE 83.


From the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty all Bulgarian warships, submarines included, are declared to be finally surrendered to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


Bulgaria will, however, have the right to maintain on the Danube and along her coasts for police and fishery duties not more than four torpedo boats and six motor boats, all without torpedoes and torpedo apparatus, to be selected by the Commission referred to in Article 99.


The personnel of the above vessels shall be organised on a purely civilian basis.


The vessels allowed to Bulgaria must only be replaced by lightly-armed patrol craft not exceeding l00 tons displacement and of non-military character.


ARTICLE 84.


All warships, including submarines, now under construction in Bulgaria shall be broken up. The work of breaking up these vessels shall be commenced as soon as possible after the coming into force of the present Treaty.


ARTICLE 85.


Articles, machinery and material arising from the breaking up of Bulgarian warships of all kinds, whether surface vessels or submarines, may not be used except for purely industrial or commercial purposes.


They may not be sold or disposed of to foreign countries.


ARTICLE 86.


The construction or acquisition of any submarine, even for commercial purposes, shall be forbidden in Bulgaria.


ARTICLE 87.


All arms, ammunition and other naval war material, including mines and torpedoes, which belonged to Bulgaria at the date of the signature of the Armistice of September 29, 1918, are declared to be finally surrendered to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


ARTICLE 88.


During the three months following the coming into force of the present Treaty the high-power wireless telegraphy station at Sofia shall not be used for the transmission of messages concerning naval, military or political questions of interest to Bulgaria, or any State which has been allied to Bulgaria in the war, without the assent of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers. This station may be used for commercial purposes, but only under the supervision of the said Powers, who will decide the wave-length to be used.


During the same period Bulgaria shall not build any more high-power wireless telegraphy stations in her own territory or that of Germany, Austria, Hungary or Turkey.


SECTION III.
AIR CLAUSES.

ARTICLE 89.


The armed forces of Bulgaria must not include any military or naval air forces. No dirigible shall be kept.


ARTICLE 90.


Within two months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the personnel of the air forces on the rolls of the Bulgarian land and sea forces shall be demobilised.


ARTICLE 91.


Until the complete evacuation of Bulgarian territory by the Allied and Associated troops the aircraft of the Allied and Associated Powers shall enjoy in Bulgaria freedom of passage through the air, freedom of transit and of landing.


ARTICLE 92.


During the six months following the coming into force of the present Treaty the manufacture, importation and exportation of aircraft, parts of aircraft, engines for aircraft, and parts of engines for aircraft shall be forbidden in all Bulgarian territory.


ARTICLE 93.


On the coming into force of the present Treaty all military and naval aeronautical material must be delivered by Bulgaria and at her expense to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


Delivery must be effected at such places as the Governments of the said Powers may select, and must be completed within three months.


In particular, this material will include all items under the following heads which are or have been in use or were designed for warlike purposes:


Complete aeroplanes and seaplanes, as well as those being manufactured, repaired or assembled.


Dirigibles able to take the air, being manufactured, repaired or assembled.


Plant for the manufacture of hydrogen.


Dirigible sheds and shelters of every kind for aircraft.
Pending their delivery, dirigibles will, at the expense of Bulgaria, be maintained inflated with hydrogen; the plant for the manufacture of hydrogen, as well as the sheds for dirigibles, may, at the discretion of the said Powers, be left to Bulgaria until the time when the dirigibles are handed over.


Engines for aircraft.


Nacelles and fuselages.


Armament (guns, machine guns, light machine guns, bomb-dropping apparatus, torpedo-dropping apparatus, synchronization apparatus, aiming apparatus).


Munitions (cartridges, shells, bombs loaded or unloaded, stocks of explosives or of material for their manufacture).


Instruments for use on aircraft.


Wireless apparatus and photographic or cinematograph apparatus for use on aircraft.


Component parts of any of the items under the preceding heads.


The material referred to above shall not be removed without special permission from the said Governments.


SECTION IV.
INTER-ALLIED COMMISSIONS OF CONTROL.

ARTICLE 94.


All military, naval and air ciauses contained in the present Treaty for the execution of which a time limit is prescribed shall be executed by Bulgaria under the control of Inter-Allied Commissions appointed for this purpose by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.


The above-mentioned Commissions will represent the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in dealing with the Bulgarian Government in all matters concerning the execution of the military, naval and air clauses. They will communicate to the Bulgarian authorities the decisions which the Principal Allied and Associated Powers have reserved the right to take or which the execution of the said clauses may necessitate.


ARTICLE 95.


The Inter-Allied Commissions of Control may establish their organisations at Sofia, and shall be entitled as often as they think fit to proceed to any point whatever in Bulgarian territory, or to send sub-commissions or to authorise one or more of their members to go to any such point.


ARTICLE 96.


The Bulgarian Government must furnish to the Inter-Allied Commissions of Control all such information and documents as the latter may think necessary to ensure the execution of their mission, and all means (both in personnel and in material) which the said Commissions may need to ensure the complete execution of the military, naval or air clauses.


The Bulgarian Government must attach a qualified representative to each Inter-Allied Commission of Control, with the duty of receiving the communications which the Commission may have to address to the Bulgarian Government, and of furnishing it with or procuring all information or documents demanded.


ARTICLE 97.


The upkeep and cost of the Commissions of Control and the expenses involved by their work shall be borne by Bulgaria.


ARTICLE 98.


It will be the special duty of the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control:


(1) to fix the number of gendarmes, customs officials, forest guards, local or municipal police, or other like officials, which Bulgaria shall be authorised to maintain in accordance with Article 69;


(2) to receive from the Bulgarian Government any information relating to the location of the stocks and depots of munitions, the armament of the fortified works, fortresses and forts, and the location of the works or factories for the production of arms, munitions and war material and their operations.


It will take delivery of the arms, munitions, war material and plant intended for war construction, will select the points where such delivery is to be effected, and will supervise the works of destruction and of rendering things useless or the transformation of material which are to be carried out in accordance with the present Treaty.


ARTICLE 99.


It will be the special duty of the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control to take delivery of arms, munitions, and other naval war material, and to supervise the destruction and breaking up provided for in Article 84.


The Bulgarian Government must furnish to the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control all such information and documents as the Commission may deem necessary to ensure the complete execution of the naval clauses, in particular the designs of the warships, the composition of their armaments, the details and models of the guns, munitions, torpedoes, mines, explosives, wireless telegraphic apparatus, and in general everything relating to naval war material, as well as all legislative or administrative documents or regulations.


ARTICLE l00.


It will be the special duty of the Aeronautical Inter-Allied Commission of Control to make an inventory of the aeronautical material which is actually in possession of the Bulgarian Government, to inspect aeroplane, balloon and motor manufactories and factories producing arms, munitions and explosives capable of being used by aircraft, to visit all aerodromes, sheds, landing grounds, parks and depots situated in Bulgarian territory, and to authorise where necessary the removal of material and to take delivery of such material.


The Bulgarian Government must furnish to the Aeronautical Inter Allied Commission of Control all such information and legislative, administrative or other documents which the Commission may think necessary to ensure the complete execution of the air clauses, and in particu1ar a list of the personnel belonging to all Bulgarian air services and of the existing material, as well as of that in process of manufacture or on order, and a complete list of all establishments working for aviation, of their positions and of all sheds and landing grounds.


SECTION V.
GENERAL ARTICLES.
ARTICLE 101.


After the expiration of a period of three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the Bulgarian laws must have been modified and shall be maintained by the Bulgarian Government in conformity with this Part of the present Treaty.


Within the same period all the administrative or other measures relating to the execution of this Part of the present Treaty must have been taken by the Bulgarian Government.


ARTICLE 102.


The following portions of the Armistice of September 29, 1918 paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 6, remain in force in so far as they are not inconsistent with the stipulations of the present Treaty.


ARTICLE 103.


Bulgaria undertakes from the coming into force of the present Treaty not to accredit to any foreign country any military, navy or air mission, and not to send or allow the departure of any such mission; she undertakes moreover to take the necessary steps in order to prevent Bulgarian nationals from leaving her territory in order to enlist in the army, fleet or air service of any foreign Power, or to be attached to any such Power with the purpose of helping in its training, or generally to give any assistance to the military, naval or air instruction in a foreign country.


The Allied and Associated Powers undertake on their part that from the coming into force of the present Treaty they will neither enlist in their armies, fleets or air services nor attach to them any Bulgarian national with the object of helping in military training, or in general employ any Bulgarian national as a military, naval or air instructor.


The present arrangement, however, in no way hinders the right of France to recruit for the Foreign Legion in accordance with French military laws and regulations.


ARTICLE 104.


So long as the present Treaty remains in force Bulgaria undertakes to submit to any investigation which the Council of the League of Nations by a majority vote may consider necessary.


PART V.
PRISONERS OF WAR AND GRAVES.
SECTION I.
PRISONERS OF WAR.
ARTICLE 105.


The repatriation of prisoners of war and interned civilians who are Bulgarian nationals shall take place as soon as possible after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and shall be carried out with the greatest rapidity.


ARTICLE 106.


The repatriation of Bulgarian prisoners of war and interned civilians shall, in accordance with Article 105, be carried out by a Commission composed of representatives of the Interested Associated Powers on the one part, and of the Bulgarian Government on the other part.


For each of the Allied and Associated Powers a sub-commission, composed exclusively of representatives of the interested Power and of delegates of the Bulgarian Government, shall regulate the details of carrying into effect the repatriation of prisoners of war.


ARTICLE 107.


From the time of their delivery into the hands of the Bulgarian aulhorities the prisoners of war and interned civilians are to be returned without delay to their homes by the said authorities.


Those amongst them who before the war were habitually reE;ident in territory occupied by the troops of the Allied and Associated Powers are likewise to be sent to their homes, subject to 1:he consent and control of the military authorities of the Allied and Associated armies of occupation.


ARTICLE 108.


The whole cost of repatriation from the moment of starting shall be borne by the Bulgarian Government, who shall also provide the means of transport and working personnel consldered necessary by the Commission referred to in Article 106.


ARTICLE 109.


Prisoners of war and interned civilians awaiting disposal or undergoing sentence for offences against discipline shall be repatriated irrespective of the completion of their sentence or of the proceedings pending against them.


This stipulation shall not apply to prisoners of war and interned civilians punished for offences committed subsequent to October 5, 1919


During the period pending their repatriation all prisoners of war and interned civilians shall remain subject to the existing regulations, more especially as regards work and discipline.


ARTICLE 110.


Prisoners of war and interned civilians who are awaiting trial or undergoing sentence for offences other than those against discipline may be detained.


ARTICLE 111.


The Bulgarian Government undertakes to admit to its territory without distinction all persons liable to repatriation.


Prisoners of war or Bulgarian nationals who do not desire to be repatriated may be excluded from repatriation; but the Allied and Associated Governments reserve to themselves the right either to repatriate them or to take them to a neutral country or to allow them to reside in their own territories.


The Bulgarian Government undertakes not to institute any exceptional proceedings against these persons or their families nor to take any repressive or vexatious measures of any kind whatsoever against them on this account.


ARTICLE 112.


The Allied and Associated Governments reserve the right to make the repatriation of Bulgarian prisoners of war and Bulgarian nationals in their hands conditional upon the immediate notification and release by the Bulgarian Government of any prisoners of war and other nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers who may be still retained in Bulgaria against their will.


ARTICLE 113.


An Inter-Allied Commission for enquiry and control shall be formed for the purpose of:


(1) Searching for non-repatriated Allied and Associated nationals;


(2) Identifying those who have expressed their desire to remain within Bulgarian territory;


(3) Establishing criminal acts punishable by the penalties referred to in Part Vl (Penalties) of the present Treaty, committed by Bulgarians against the persons of prisoners of war or Allied and Associated nationals during their captivity.


This Commission shall consist of a representative of each of the following Powers, viz.: the British Empire, France, Italy, Greece, Roumania and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State.


The result of the enquiries made by this Commission shall be transmitted to each of the Governments concerned.


The Bulgarian Government undertakes:


(1) To give every facility to this Commission, to furnish it with all necessary means of transport; to allow it free access to camps, prisons, hospitals and all other places; and to place at its disposal all documents, whether public or private, which would facilitate its enquiries;


(2) To impose penalties upon any Bulgarian officials or private persons who have concealed the presence of any nationals of any of the Allied or Associated Powers, or have neglected to reveal the presence of any such after it had come to their knowledge.


ARTICLE 114.


The Bulgarian Government undertakes, from the coming into force of the present Treaty, to restore without delay all articles, money, securities and documents which have belonged to nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers and which have been retained by the Bulgarian authorities.


ARTICLE 115.


The High Contracting Parties waive reciprocally all repayment of sums due for the maintenance of prisoners of war in their respective territories.


SECTION II.
GRAVES.
ARTICLE 116.


The Allied and Associated Governments and the Bulgarian Govenment will cause to be respected and maintained the graves of the soldiers and sailors buried in their respective territories.


They agree to recognise any Commission appointed by any one of these Governments for the purpose of identifying, registering, caring for, or erecting suitable memorials over the said graves, and to facilitate the discharge of its duties.


Furthermore they reciprocally agree to afford, so far as the provisions of their laws and the requirements of public health allow, every facility for giving effect to requests that the bodies of their soldiers and sailors may be transferred to their own country.


ARTICLE 117.


The graves of prisoners of war and interned civilians who are nationals of the different belligerent States and have died in captivity shall be properly maintained in accordance with Article 6 of the present Treaty.


The Allied and Associated Governments on the one part and the Bulgarian Government on the other part reciprocally undertake also to furnish to each other:


(1) A complete list of those who have died, together with all information useful for identification;


(2) All information as to the number and position of the graves of all those who have been buried without identification.


PART VI.
PENALTIES.
ARTICLE 118.


The Bulgarian Government recognises the right of the Allied and Associated Powers to bring before military tribunals persons accused of having committed acts in violation of the laws and customs of war. Such persons shall, if found guilty, be sentenced to punishments laid down by law. This provision will apply notwithstanding any proceedings or prosecution before a tribunal in Bulgaria or in the territory of her allies.


The Bulgarian Government shall hand over to the Allied and Associated Powers or to such one of them as shall so request, all persons accused of having committed an act in violation of the laws and customs of war, who are specified either by name or by the rank, office, or employment which they held under the Bulgarian authorities.


ARTICLE 119.


Persons guilty of criminal acts against the nationals of one of the Allied and Associated Powers will be brought before the military tribunals of that Power.


Persons guilty of criminal acts against the nationals of more than one of the Allied and Associated Powers will be brought before military tribunals composed of members of the military tribunals of the Powers concerned.


In every case the accused will be entitled to name his own counsel.


ARTICLE 120.


The Bulgarian Government undertakes to furnish all documents and information of every kind, the production of which may be considered necessary to ensure the full knowledge of the incriminating acts, the discovery of offenders and the just appreciation of responsibility.

Blog Mirror: Cincinnati Magazine: THANKSGIVING IN CINCINNATI 100 YEARS AGO: PRICEY BIRDS, AMERICANISM, AND A BABY MARATHON

THANKSGIVING IN CINCINNATI 100 YEARS AGO: PRICEY BIRDS, AMERICANISM, AND A BABY MARATHON

Blog Mirror: Southern Rockies Nature Blog: Ma Boyle's Amazing Outdoor Retailing Concept

Southern Rockies Nature Blog: Ma Boyle's Amazing Outdoor Retailing Concept: Gert Boyle (Outside). Reading a post in Outside online about Gert Boyle, who built Columbia Sportswear from a little hat company to wha...

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Lex Anteinternet: November 26, 1919. Felipe Ángeles sentence carried out. US v. Mexico War looms again.

Lex Anteinternet: November 25, 1919. Felipe Ángeles sentenced to de...:


November 25, 1919. Felipe Ángeles sentenced to death.


The quixotic Felipe Ángeles, whom Villa had backed as head of state in 1919, was condemned to death by a Mexican court martial on this day in 1919.

Following Villa's defeat in the Battle of Juarez, which Angeles had not taken part in, a despondent Angeles had left Villa's service and wondered around itinerant.  He'd gone into a state of despair over the inability of the warring Mexican forces to find their way towards a joint resolution of their disputes.  Like almost every single significant Mexican figure who fell victim to a political killing in this period, he was betrayed prior to his arrest, the arrest being a bit of an exception to the rule.

His execution would come the following day.

And, to add to it, the US and Mexico were growing close to war again, although not over the execution of Ángeles, but rather the arrest of US Consular Officer Jenkins.


Mexico was failing to act to release Jenkins, whose story we are just picking up, following what was original his kidnapping.  The Mexican government didn't believe that Jenkins, who had obtained the position as he was a U.S. businessman living in Mexico, was actually kidnapped but, rather, that he'd arranged the event himself.


The US obviously held the opposite belief, and in any event, Jenkins was a consular officer who really couldn't be held under diplomatic conventions.


Lex Anteinternet: The lesson of past hearings. . .

On This Week guest Amy Klobuchar, fresh from a really disappointing performance in last week's debate, with the personal highlight for her being getting chewed up and spit out by Pete Buttigieg, also made reference to both the McCarthy hearings and Joe Welch.
Lex Anteinternet: The lesson of past hearings. . .: Joseph Welch, hand in head, being questioned by Joseph McCarthy Joseph Welch was the chief legal counsel for the U.S. Army when it fe...
Welch is from her native state, which may explain the reference.  She quoted the famous "have you no decency sir." line.

Monday, November 25, 2019

November 25, 1919. Felipe Ángeles sentenced to death.


The quixotic Felipe Ángeles, whom Villa had backed as head of state in 1919, was condemned to death by a Mexican court martial on this day in 1919.

Following Villa's defeat in the Battle of Juarez, which Angeles had not taken part in, a despondent Angeles had left Villa's service and wondered around itinerant.  He'd gone into a state of despair over the inability of the warring Mexican forces to find their way towards a joint resolution of their disputes.  Like almost every single significant Mexican figure who fell victim to a political killing in this period, he was betrayed prior to his arrest, the arrest being a bit of an exception to the rule.

His execution would come the following day.

Please for clemency were reported on as front page news in  the United States, including in the Casper paper.


Carlisle was back on the front page, but simply because he hadn't been found.

On this same day, the National Equal Rights League appealed to Woodrow Wilson to ensure the same protection for American minorities that had been insisted upon in regard to Poland and Austria.

And as a reminder how tense things really are: Ginsburg hospitalized with “chills and fever”



Ginsburg hospitalized with “chills and fever”

Ruth Bader Ginsberg is 86 years old and has been in and out of the hospital constantly this past year.

Everyone who follows the Supreme Court knows the score.  She's the liberal force on a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court.  Should she die, or step down, from the Court, the Senate will confirm a conservative justice for her replacement.  That's a judicial conservative, of course, and we've gone over the difference between judicial conservatives, political conservatives and jurisprudential conservatives before, something that's rarely appreciated in the press, or anywhere else seemingly.

Anyhow, Ginsberg shows no signs of resigning and is now in the position of nearly admittedly hanging on in anticipation of a Democrat taking Trump's place in 2020.  Should that not occur, I suspect she will resign.  Indeed, I suspect she'll resign following the next Presidential election no mater what.

That assumes that she lives to that point, which is not a safe assumption.  While liberal tweeters are rejoicing with the news its "just a cold", anyone who has dealt with end of life issues in the elderly can read the signs. She's rapidly failing.  She's a frail woman as it is, and the schedule and life she's leading has to be grueling for an 86 year old.

All of which brings us back to the point that a Court which has lifetime appointments really doesn't make sense anymore.  There should be some sort of age requirement for retirement.  At some point this sort of thing becomes a risk for the nation, and for a nation that prides itself on being democratic .. . although its current fascination with extra judicial means of removing a President bring that into question, having a system that, in some ways, recalls Medieval Courts that tensely watched a failing king in decline while there were background maneuvers for power, isn't dignified.

Indeed, the Supreme Court is taking on the character of the New Forest in early Norman England.  It feels like people are ready to rush off to the east of power on a moment's notice upon the falling of one of the greats.

That's not a very sane way to to run a government and society.

So we've had a week of Impeachment hearings and

they don't make President Trump look good.  It's clear that he was pressuring the Ukrainians to engage in the investigation of Hunter Biden and that he had intellectual capitol invested in a conspiracy theory that nobody believes in who has looked at it.

Moreover, as Ms. Hill noted, the Administration's ongoing belief about Ukraine and election interference means that Vladimir Putin's efforts to mess with our election were not only successful, but it continues to be successful.

Yume, Vladimir Putin, and Buffy.  Any way you look at it, the figure who looms large over all of this is Vladimir Putin, the autocrat of Russia.  He has to be laughing as Americans openly continue to struggle with Russian interference in the 2016 election and the success of those efforts in destabilizing American democracy right up to the present moment.  Krelim official photograph, kremlin.ur.  

Beyond that, the current President doesn't seem to have any lines between the personal and political.

All of which is bad.

But is any of it illegal?

A reader poses the question if this conduct violates 52 U.S.C. § 30121

Apparently there's been some speculation out there that this is the provision that all this bad conduct violates.  


It doesn't.


Here's what this provision states:

Contributions and donations by foreign nationals  
(a)Prohibition 
It shall be unlawful for— 
(1)a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make— 
(A)a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election; 
(B)a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or

(C)an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 30104(f)(3) of this title); or 
(2)a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national. 
(b)“Foreign national” defined  
As used in this section, the term “foreign national” means— 
(1)a foreign principal, as such term is defined by section 611(b) of title 22, except that the term “foreign national” shall not include any individual who is a citizen of the United States*; or 
(2)an individual who is not a citizen of the United States or a national of the United States (as defined in section 1101(a)(22) of title 8) and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined by section 1101(a)(20) of title 8.

Let's take out the obvious.  Trump isn't a foreign national.

Okay, so in order for this statute to apply, the President would have to "to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) from a foreign national."

So, some are theorizing, by pressuring the Ukrainian president to investigate Hunter he's soliciting "a contribution or donation".


That's strained in the extreme.


Whether the Democrats rely on this provision in their upcoming articles of impeachment is yet to be seen, and I doubt they will.  Frankly, I don't think the articles will have any citations to statutory law at all.  It'll be a series of accusations that he did improper things, but they won't be things that they can pin as illegal.  Immoral?  Perhaps?  Exceptionally crude and inappropriate?  Perhaps again. Vested in debunked theories?  Perhaps yet again.  But violating a statutory code?  So far, that seems unlikely.**


All of which puts everyone in a bad spot.  


The simple solution to this is an election. But the Democrats now have so much invested in this that they seemingly  have to go forward no matter what. For that matter, the Republicans have been put in a terrible spot as well as they've been left with seeming little choice but to defend conduct that they never otherwise would have.  All of this is serving to elevate extremist in both parties to greater heights.  And that will serve to make the upcoming election ever more extreme.


Indeed, as a trial will occur in the Senate, at this point it's impossible not to imagine the Impeachment Trial turning into a weeks long Republican effort to praise the President and perhaps give credence to discredited theories and, moreover, for the entire process to be converted by the Administration as a way to dominate the news for election purposes.  It'll be one long campaign rally, potentially, just as the House Impeachment hearings have been one long No Confidence Hearing in a country that lacks a No Confidence feature in its Constitution.


All in all, this is doing damage to everything and now that the ship has sailed there's no recovering it.  The Democrats are yielding to uber snark rather than doing anything serious.  The GOP has been reduced in its arguments to defending conduct it no doubt doesn't really approve of, which may be why the GOP figures we've heard from in the House are people that we've never heard of before.  Adam Schiff is coming across like a pampas jackass.  Devin Nunes as somebody who needs to take a public speaking class. And Jim Jordan looks absurd.  The President comes across just as he always has, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Everyone looks pretty helpless.  


Indeed the only ones who have come out looking good so far are career diplomats and government service officers who are the heroes of the moment.  Unfortunately, at the exact same time this gives credit to those on the hard right who argue that Trump is sabotaged at every turn by "the Deep State" and disloyal staffers.  And not doubt those sort of claims will be amplified in the upcoming election.


Indeed, the election itself will become even more about Trump than it already is. And that's not going to be a good thing.  Issues and policies will be buried.  And that will mean, should the Democrats win in the fall, the country will have elected somebody it probably knows almost nothing about.  The vast field of Democratic candidates right now operates to to increase that problem in that its tough to know very much about any of them, particularly with this element of background chatter constantly going on.


All of which goes to show that those who claimed that Nancy Pelosi was a master politician were pretty much right.  Her instincts were to not go in this direction, and now we know why.  When she did, she probably didn't have much of a choice.  But my guess is that her absence from the press attention during this has been studied on her part.


________________________________________________________________________________


Addendum:



Thomas Jefferson.  Morally problematic and enigmatic, but still brilliant.  Has the day that he feared we'd get to arrived?

After I wrote it, but before it was published, I received an email from The New Republic which I think demonstrates the really surreal state of our republic at the current time.


The email linked in an article in the current issue entitled:



To Lock Up a President


It goes on to start off with:

Democrats seem to agree that Trump should be brought to justice. Whether they agree on the precise nature of that justice is an open question.
The Article notes that there are now protesters on the left wanting to "lock up" Trump. This quote from Bernie Sanders is included in the article.
“I think the people of this country are catching on to the degree that this president thinks he is above the law,” Sanders said. “And what the American people are saying, nobody is above the law. And I think what the American people are also saying is, in fact, that if this president did break the law, he should be prosecuted like any other individual who breaks the law.”
And hence the really disturbing problem.

Things may change, and if they did substantially I'd agree that the implications of violating the law are what they are. But so far, there's been no evidence at all that Trump broke the law.  What the evidence is that he mixed his personal political aspirations with official policy in a highly inappropriate way.


But that's political.


We've definitely had Presidents break the law.  Indeed, I'd argue that both George Bush II and Barack Obama broke the law in their licensing the use of military force without a Declaration of War, although I'm one of the very few people who seem bothered by that.  Richard Nixon undoubtedly broke the law.  Reagan's lieutenants broke the law in a way that would certainly seem to implicate Reagan.  Probably most of the Cold War Presidents crowded the law in some fashion.  But what we are really seeing here is the suggestion that Trump must have broken the law because, those people argue, they don't like what he did.


Well, that doesn't make it illegal.  There's been a lot of Presidents who did stuff that was outright icky and morally questionable in the extreme (John F. Kennedy for example), but that doesn't mean all of that was illegal (although the Bay of Pigs invasion may have been).


At some point since George Bush I we've started to stray into that dangerous area of making moral failings illegal and political failure illegal.  That's a scary development.  The entire effort to impeach Bill Clinton was a spectacular example of that, but there have been plenty of others.  Since at least the Clinton Administration simply being in an Administration has exposed office holders to potential prosecution simply for failure.  It's spread to industry and commerce as well, with "insider trading" laws being an example of actually making simply being in the know illegal, and crises to prosecute bankers for failed banking practices something we've heard since 2008.


Crises of "lock him up" can't come as too much of  surprise for somebody who campaigned against his 2016 opponent with cries that she was "Crooked Hillary" and who didn't shut down supporters when they yelled "lock her up".  So a person really can't feel too sorry for a politician who is now receiving treatment similar to that which he meted out.  But a person can feel sorry for the country.  People vilified nearly every President we ever had, but the efforts we've seen since Clinton to remove them on pretexts is new and distressing in the extreme.


When the country was founded, it was famously given a republican form of government which, as Benjamin Frankly wry noted, may be difficult to keep.  We have so far. A republican government is a democracy, in spite of those who really haven't thought it out occasionally stating "a republic isn't a democracy".  Yes, it is.  What we didn't get with that republic is a democracy without a written constitution, like the British Parliament, or a pure unrestrained democracy, like the ancient Athenian democracy.  And for good reason.


Thomas Jefferson theorized from the onset that American democracy was in fact completely doomed.  His view is that it would have a long run, but only as long as it had territory to expand into and therefore a population of yeomen farmers.  Once that class yielded to an urban class, and he was certain that it would, he was certain that the urban class would rise and that politicians would purchase its votes through favors to the urban class, which he regarded as a mob.


Jefferson proved absolutely correct that the yeoman unfortunately yielded to the urbanites.  But a lot of modern democracies are more urban than rural and appear very stable.  Quite a few of the European democracies were urban when they became democracies, although at least early in the history of most of them, and ongoing in some, a yeoman class was strongly represented politically.  Ironically, in recent years some European economies have become much more open and free market than our own and are functioning politically much better than we are.


At any rate, Jefferson's view was long term gloomy.  He probably didn't regard it as such as he thought that settling the western expanse of the continent would take 1,000 years, something he was massively off the mark on.  But there are real reasons to feel that what he featured would take place after the conclusion of that 1,000 years may have been right in some form.  Americans don't seem to interested in the democratic process any more.  Like Athenian democracy, they appear okay with screaming for the head of political opponents simply because they can, and are fine with making the opponents criminals because they are opponents. And like Jefferson feared, one party at least is pretty comfortable with buying the loyalty of voters in economic positions promising to fund all of life's decisions, from education (Sanders and others) to having children (Booker), and any other number of things that prior generations would have been insulted to have the government involved in.


A republic. . . if you can keep it.


Addendum, November 25, 2016.

This Week featured a couple of lawyers who are "Constitutional Scholars".  I don't know what their backgrounds are other than the very short snipped regarding them, and they may very well be that, although what that likely means is that they're academic lawyers.  Most practitioners don't get that title as a rule, unless they're being interviewed by the press on a specific topic or case.

Anyhow, they, and the panelist, irrespective of political persuasion, all tended towards the view that "high crime and misdemeanors" is sufficiently vague such that an impeachment can be done for political reasons.  That view surprises me, but it was the uniform view.  

Indeed, they discussed the current statute on bribery and debated if it is really relevant at all.  There was no real consensus.  Some suggested no, as it wasn't the law at the time.

Frankly, I think its relevant as the Constitution says "high crimes and misdemeanors", but the provisions are admittedly vague.  The uniform view is that its a political process, which means that as a quasi judicial process, if that view is held, it's more political than my general view here would have it.

_________________________________________________________________________________


*For those who might wonder, the line excepting foreign nationals who are U.S. citizens creates an exception for dual citizens.  It might frankly be impossible for a person to know who and who is not a dual citizen in common politics and therefore this exception precludes all sorts of accidental violations of the law.


**Indeed, in my view relying upon 52 U.S.C. § 30121 creates a legal risk as if the Senate was actually to remove Trump from office, which it is not going to do, it would raise the question on whether or not the Senate can remove a President from office for the violation of a crime upon which he has not been convicted.


This problem would exist anyhow, and always exists in Impeachment hearing in which the President has not been so convicted.  Of note, no U.S. President who has been subject to an impeachment trial has actually been convicted of a crime.  Nixon came the closest but he wasn't impeached.  Indeed, the Nixon example shows why the strange presumed prohibition on prosecuting a President for an actual violation of a crime during his office doesn't make any sense at all.  Anyhow, as no President has been removed, the impeachment clause of the Constitution has actually never been tested.


What we don't know, and its an interesting question, is what would happen if a President was removed.  It's a power clearly vested in Congress and up until quite recently such powers were pretty much absolute.  In recent years, however, the Supreme Court has held that they are not.  


In other words, had Nixon been impeached, or Clinton, and then they tried to take their impeachment to the Supreme Court, the Court would have ruled quickly it had no jurisdiction over the matter.  Now, we can't be so sure.  If the Court found it did have jurisdiction and took the matter up (there's some procedural matters that would have to occur in order for that to happen) it might very well hold that it has the exclusive right to interpret the clause and render a decision on its meaning.  There's good reason to hope that this never occurs.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Apollo 12 Returns to Earth. November 24, 1969

Apollo 12 and the USS Hornet.

On this day in 1969, the Apollo 12 crew rode their module back down to Earth.

The recovery was affected by the USS Hornet, the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier that famously was used in World War Two.  The Hornet had been commissioned in 1943, decommissioned in 1947, and then recommissioned with a new angled flight deck 1953. At the time of her recommissioning she was a small aircraft carrier and she was decommissioned again in 1970, just the following year after this mission.  She was struck from the roles in 1989 and is now a museum ship in Alameda, California.

The Apollo 12 mission was a successful one, particularly in light of its frightening start when the Saturn rockets were struck twice by lightening during the launch.  Seismographers were left on the moon when the lunar capsule was launched back to the orbiting module and the launching apparatus' vibrations on the surface of the moon lasted for over an hour.

Scenes from November 24, 1919




Lex Anteinternet: Romanticizing the Past. . . and then there's just being dense.

Some time ago I posted this item about romanticizing the past:
Lex Anteinternet: Romanticizing the Past: One of the things a lot of blogs like this one do is to romanticize the past.  It's really common on some "looking back" blog...
Strongly related to looking back on the past romantically, which almost everyone does to some extent, there's the "I wish I'd lived back in . . . " type of thinking.  I'll confess, for people with a certain historical interest focused on a particular era, or perhaps conditions of a bygone era, that can be pretty tempting thinking.  It's often, however, based on a highly romanticized view of the past or even a completely erroneous view of the past.

But sometimes the person stating that just doesn't know what the crud they're thinking.

Just the other day, I ran across an item on the Internet which said "I wish I'd been born 50 years ago as life was so much easier then".

Eh?

If you were born fifty years ago, you'd be fifty.  You'd be living (assuming you didn't suffer early death of course) right now.  So, if you lived fifty years ago as an infant, you wouldn't have been spared whatever you regard as uniquely difficult now.

On this, I was born 56 years ago. I may have an oddly unvarnished view of the years I've lived in, but its certainly the 60s, which I only dimly remember, were no national or international treat. The 70s weren't great either, with inflation eating everyone's savings at a prodigious rate.

The US was at war in a war that involved a much greater commitment of men and treasure than anything since from 1965, more or less, to 1973. We lost.  Drugs were a major problem in all sorts of horrific ways.  All the diseases that are killers now, in advanced societies, were around then except for some, like heart disease, the treatments were much more invasive and often deadly.  AIDS made its appearance in the late 1970s.

Those who fail to learn history, as we know, may be condemned to repeat it.  But not knowing any history condemns a person to real density.

On campaigning

I feel my services to the country should speak for themselves, rather than that I should speak for them or of them. Perhaps the customs of the times will modify this so that I may be compelled to look after the matter myself; but I hope not.

James A. Garfield on campaigning.  November 23, 1879

Sunday Morning Scene: Churches of the West: St. Andrew's Lutheran Church and Campus Center, Laramie Wyoming

Churches of the West: St. Andrew's Lutheran Church and Campus Center, La...:

St. Andrew's Lutheran Church and Campus Center, Laramie Wyoming


This is the Lutheran St. Andrew's Church and Campus Center in Laramie.  It's actually not very far away from another Lutheran church in Laramie, but presumably was built here to service the needs of Lutheran students at UW.