437] THE PLEBISCITES IN THE PEACE TREATIES 1 39 



ing twelve months transfer their place of residence to the 

 State in favor of vi^hich they have opted." 



The German reply declares the readiness of the German 

 Government " to meet the Danish wishes for a new frontier 

 corresponding to the principle of nationality, using the 

 peace negotiations as a roundabout means of establishing 

 it," but insists, " it cannot refrain from referring to the 

 fact that the Schleswig question is not expressly mentioned 

 in President Wilson's points." Therefore, " if Germany 

 agrees to a plebiscite in Schleswig, she does this because she 

 recognizes the right of self-determination of the peoples." 



However, the German comment adds that Germany is 

 " nevertheless not in a position to accept the formation of 

 the voting districts, as well as the method and the time of 

 voting, as proposed in the draft of the peace treaty." 



Germany proposes one voting district whose boundary 

 "toward the south shall coincide with the dividing line be- 

 tween the linguistic majorities, so that those communes 

 shall vote which contain more than fifty per cent of Danes 

 in an unbroken territorial unity." 



The voting in this whole district, it is suggested^ " shall 

 be by communes." 



In answer to the German proposals for the changes in the 

 method of the voting and delimitation of the voting districts 

 the Allied reply concedes that " in consequence of a request 

 made by the Danish Government it has been decided to 

 alter the limits of the territory within which the plebiscite 

 will be held in accordance with their wishes." No further 

 changes are affected. 



The territories to be ceded by Germany to the States of 

 Poland and Czecho-Slovakia present a problem so com- 

 plicated in its racial aspect that noi boundary arrange- 

 ment seems possible which will not include in German terri- 

 tory Poles and Czecho-Slovaks, or Germans in the areas 

 transferred to the new States. 



The Treaty provides the transfer of German territory to 

 Poland in part as outright cession, without consultation of 



