Convention shall apply in particular to the whole or part of the above-mentioned river system of the Danube, and such other parts of that river system as may be covered by a general definition.

Austria undertakes, in accordance with the provisions of Article 331, to adhere to the said General Convention.

ARTICLE 300.

Austria shall cede to the Allied and Associated Powers concerned, within a maximum period of three months from the date on which notification shall be given her, a proportion of the tugs and vessels remaining registered in the ports of the river system referred to in Article 291 after the deduction of those surrendered by way of restitution or reparation. Austria shall in the same way cede material of all kinds necessary to the Allied and Associated Powers concerned for the utilisation of that river system.

The number of tugs and boats, and the amount of the material so ceded, and their distribution, shall be determined by an arbitrator or arbitrators nominated by the United States of America, due regard being had to the legitimate needs of the parties concerned, and particularly to the shipping traffic during the five years preceding the war.

All craft so ceded shall be provided with their fittings and gear, shall be in a good state of repair and in condition to carry goods, and shall be selected from among those most recently built.

Wherever the cessions made under the present Article involve a change of ownership, the arbitrator or arbitrators shall determine the rights of the former owners as they stood on October 15, 1918, and the amount of the compensation to be paid to them, and shall also direct the manner in which such payment is to be effected in each case. If the arbitrator or arbitrators find that the whole or part of this sum will revert directly or indirectly to States from whom reparation is due, they shall decide the sum to be placed under this head to the credit of the said States.

As regards the Danube, the arbitrator or arbitrators referred to in this Article will also decide all questions as to the permanent allocation and the conditions thereof of the vessels whose ownership or nationality is in dispute between States.

Pending final allocation, the control of these vessels shall be vested in a Commission consisting of representatives of the United States of America, the British Empire, France and Italy, who will be empowered to make provisional arrangements for the working of these vessels in the general interest by any local organisation or, failing such arrangements, by themselves, without prejudice to the final allocation.

As far as possible these provisional arrangements will be on a commercial basis, the net receipts by the Commission for the hire of these vessels being disposed of as directed by the Reparation Commission.

2. Special Clauses relating to the Danube.

ARTICLE 301.

The European Commission of the Danube re-assumes the powers it possessed before the war. Nevertheless, as a provisional measure, only representatives of Great Britain, France, Italy and Roumania shall constitute this Commission.

ARTICLE 302.

From the point where the competence of the European Commission ceases, the Danube system referred to in Article 291 shall be placed under the administration of an International Commission composed as follows:

2 representatives of German riparian States;

1 representative of each other riparian State;

1 representative of each non-riparian State represented in the future on the European Commission of the Danube.

If certain of these representatives cannot be appointed at the time of the coming into force of the present Treaty, the decisions of the Commission shall nevertheless be valid.

ARTICLE 303.

The International Commission provided for in the preceding Article shall meet as soon as possible after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and shall undertake provisionally the administration of the river in conformity with the provisions of Articles 292 and 294 to 298, until such time as a definitive statute regarding the Danube is concluded by the Powers nominated by the Allied and Associated Powers.

The decisions of this International Commission shall be taken by a majority vote. The salaries of the Commissioners shall be fixed and paid by their respective countries.

As a provisional measure any deficit in the administrative expense of this International Commission shall be borne equally by the States represented on the Commission.

In particular, this Commission shall regulate the licensing of pilots, charges for pilotage and the administration of the pilot service.

ARTICLE 304.

Austria agrees to accept the régime which shall be laid down for the Danube by a Conference of the Powers nominated by

the Allied and Associated Powers, which shall meet within one year after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and at which Austrian representatives may be present.

ARTICLE 305.

The mandate given by Article 57 of the Treaty of Berlin of July 13, 1878, to Austria-Hungary, and transferred by her to Hungary, to carry out works at the Iron Gates, is abrogated. The Commission entrusted with the administration of this part of the river shall lay down provisions for the settlement of accounts subject to the financial provisions of the present Treaty. Charges which may be necessary shall in no case be levied by Hungary.

ARTICLE 306.

Should the Czecho-Slovak State, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, or Roumania, with the authorisation of or under mandate from the International Commission, undertake maintenance, improvement, weir, or other works on a part of the river system which forms a frontier, these States shall enjoy on the opposite bank, and also on the part of the bed which is outside their territory, all necessary facilities for the survey, execution and maintenance of such works.

ARTICLE 307.

Austria shall be obliged to make to the European Commission of the Danube all restitutions, reparations and indemnities for damages inflicted on the Commission during the war.

ARTICLE 308.

Should a deep-draught Rhine-Danube navigable waterway be constructed, Austria hereby undertakes to accept the application to the said navigable waterway of the same régime as that prescribed in Articles 292 and 294 to 299 of the present Treaty.

CHAPTER III.

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM.

ARTICLE 309.

In default of any provisions to the contrary, when as the result of the fixing of a new frontier the hydraulic system (canalisation, inundations, irrigation, drainage or similar matters) in a State is dependent on works executed within the territory of another State, or when use is made on the territory of a State, in virtue of pre-war usage, of water or hydraulic power, the source

of which is on the territory of another State, an agreement shall be made between the States concerned to safeguard the interests and rights acquired by each of them.

Failing an agreement, the matter shall be regulated by an arbitrator appointed by the Council of the League of Nations.

ARTICLE 310.

Unless otherwise provided, when use is made for municipal or domestic purposes in one State of electricity or water, the source of which as the result of the fixing of a new frontier is on the territory of another State, an agreement shall be made between the States concerned to safeguard the interests and rights acquired by each of them.

Pending an agreement, central electric stations and waterworks shall be required to continue the supply up to an amount corresponding to the undertakings and contracts in force on November 3, 1918.

Failing an agreement, the matter shall be regulated by an arbitrator appointed by the Council of the League of Nations.

SECTION III.

RAILWAYS.

CHAPTER I.

FREEDOM OF TRANSIT TO THE ADRIATIC FOR AUSTRIA.

ARTICLE 311.

Free access to the Adriatic Sea is accorded to Austria, who with this object will enjoy freedom of transit over the territories and in the ports severed from the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

Freedom of transit is the freedom defined in Article 284 until such time as a General Convention on the subject shall have been concluded between the Allied and Associated Powers, whereupon the dispositions of the new Convention shall be substituted therefor.

Special conventions between the States or Administrations concerned will lay down the conditions of the exercise of the right accorded above, and will settle in particular the method of using the ports and the free zones existing in them, the establishment of international (joint) services and tariffs including through tickets and way-bills, and the maintenance of the Convention of Berne of October 14, 1890, and its supplementary provisions until its replacement by a new Convention.

Freedom of transit will extend to postal, telegraphic and telephonic services.

CHAPTER II.

CLAUSES RELATING TO INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT.

ARTICLE 312.

Goods coming from the territories of the Allied and Associated Powers, and going to Austria, or in transit through Austria from or to the territories of the Allied and Associated Powers, shall enjoy on the Austrian railways as regards charges to be collected (rebates and drawbacks being taken into account), facilities, and in all other matters, the most favourable treatment applied to goods of the same kind carried on any Austrian lines, either in internal traffic, or for export, import or in transit, under similar conditions of transport, for example as regards length of route. The same rule shall be applied, on the request of one or more of the Allied and Associated Powers, to goods specially designated by such Power or Powers coming from Austria and going to their territories.

International tariffs established in accordance with the rates referred to in the preceding paragraph and involving through way-bills shall be established when one of the Allied and Associated Powers shall require it from Austria.

However, without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 288 and 289, Austria undertakes to maintain on her own lines the régime of tariffs existing before the war as regards traffic to Adriatic and Black Sea ports, from the point of view of competition with North German ports.

ARTICLE 313.

From the coming into force of the present Treaty the High Contracting Parties shall renew, in so far as concerns them and under the reserves indicated in the second paragraph of the present Article, the Conventions and arrangements signed at Berne on October 14, 1890, September 20, 1893, July 16, 1895, June 16, 1898, and September 19, 1906, regarding the transportation of goods by rail.

If within five years from the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty a new Convention for the transportation of passengers, luggage and goods by rail shall have been concluded to replace the Berne Convention of October 14, 1890, and the subsequent additions referred to above, this new Convention and the supplementary provisions for international transport by rail which may be based on it shall bind Austria, even if she shall have refused to take part in the preparation of the Convention or to subscribe to it. Until a new Convention shall have been