PART V.-PRISONERS OF WAR AND GRAVES.

Section I.-Prisoners of War.

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.

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 Allied and Associated Powers on the one part, and of the Bulgarian Government on the other part.

For each of the Allied and Associated Powers a SubCommission, 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.

107. From the time of their delivery into the hands of the Bulgarian authorities 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 resident in territory occupied by the troops of the Allied and Associated Powers are likewise to be sent to their homes, subject to the consent and control of the military authorities of the Allied and Associated armies of occupation.

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 considered necessary by the Commission referred to in Article 106.

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 the 15th October, 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.

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

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.

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.

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 VI (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.

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.

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.

116. The Allied and Associated Governments and the Bulgarian Government 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.

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 116 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.

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.

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.

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.

PART VII.-REPARATION.

121. Bulgaria recognises that, by joining in the war of aggression which Germany and Austria-Hungary waged against the Allied and Associated Powers, she has caused to the latter losses and sacrifices of all kinds for which she ought to make complete reparation.

On the other hand, the Allied and Associated Powers recognise that the resources of Bulgaria are not sufficient to enable her to make complete reparation.

Bulgaria therefore agrees to pay, and the Allied and Associated Powers agree to accept, as being such reparation as Bulgaria is able to make, the sum of 2,250,000,000 (two and a quarter milliards) francs gold.

This amount shall (except as hereinafter provided) be discharged by a series of half-yearly payments on the 1st January and the 1st July in each year, beginning on the 1st July, 1920.

The payments on the 1st July, 1920, and the 1st January, 1921, shall represent interest at the rate of 2 per cent. per annum from the 1st January, 1920, on the total sum due by Bulgaria. Thereafter each half-yearly payment shall include, besides the payment of interest at 5 per cent. per annum, the provision of a sinking fund sufficient to extinguish the total amount due by Bulgaria in thirty-seven years from the 1st January, 1921.

These sums shall be remitted through the Inter-Allied Commission referred to in Article 130 to the Reparation Commission created by the Treaty of Peace with Germany of the 28th June, 1919, as constituted by the Treaty with Austria of the 10th September, 1919, Part VIII, Annex II, paragraph 2* (this Commission is hereinafter referred to as the Reparation Commission), and shall be disposed of by the Page 389.

Reparation Commission in accordance with the arrangements already made.

Payments required in accordance with the preceding stipulations to be made in cash may at any time be accepted by the Reparation Commission, on the proposal of the InterAllied Commission, in the form of chattels, properties, commodities, rights, concessions, within or without Bulgarian territory, ships, bonds, shares or securities of any kind, or currency of Bulgaria or of other States, the value of such substitutes for gold being fixed at a fair and just amount by the Reparation Commission itself.

If the Reparation Commission desires at any time to dispose, either by sale or otherwise, of gold bonds based on the payments to be made by Bulgaria, it shall have power to do so. The nominal amount of the bonds shall be fixed by it, after taking due account of the provisions of Articles 122, 123, and 129 of this Part, in consultation with the Inter-Allied Commission, but shall in no case exceed the total capital sums due by Bulgaria then outstanding.

Bulgaria undertakes in such case to deliver to the Reparation Commission, through the Inter-Allied Commission, the necessary bonds in such form, number, denominations and terms as the Reparation Commission may determine.

These bonds shall be direct obligations of the Bulgarian Government, but all arrangements for the service of the bonds shall be made by the Inter-Allied Commission. The Inter-Allied Commission shall pay all interest, sinking fund, or other charges connected with the bonds out of the halfyearly payments to be made by Bulgaria in accordance with this article. The surplus, if any, shall continue to be paid to the order of the Reparation Commission.

These bonds shall be free of all taxes and charges of every description established or to be established by Bulgaria.

122. The Inter-Allied Commission shall from time to time consider the resources and capacity of Bulgaria, and, after giving her representatives a just opportunity to be heard, shall have discretion to recommend to the Reparation Commission either a reduction or a postponement of any particular payment due or a reduction of the total capital sum to be paid by Bulgaria.

The Reparation Commission shall have power by a majority of votes to make any reduction or postponement up to the extent recommended by the Inter-Allied Commission. 123. Bulgaria shall have the power at any time, if she so desires, to make immediate payments in reduction of the total capital sum due over and above the half-yearly pay

ments.

124. Bulgaria recognises the transfer to the Allied and