YEAR BOOK A RECORD OF EVENTS AND PROGRESS 1919 EDITED BY FRANCIS G. WICKWARE, B. A., B.Sc. WITH COÖPERATION OF A SUPERVISORY BOARD PREFACE With the publication of this volume, covering the events and progress of 1919, the AMERICAN YEAR BOOK reaches its tenth issue. In the last five issues, and particularly in the last three, the scope of the YEAR BOOK as originally conceived has been considerably altered. The influence of the Great War assumed increased importance with each succeeding year, becoming finally the dominant factor in practically every field of human endeavor. It was necessary, therefore, to give progressively greater space to the war itself, to cover foreign affairs more thoroughly, and consequently to alter the original space allotments of many of the departments of the YEAR BOOK. In the present issue the war's aftermath affects the content of the book quite as profoundly as did the war itself. Nevertheless, the organization of the work remains substantially unchanged, and its fundamental purpose remains as defined in the preface to the first issue: "The AMERICAN YEAR BOOK is intended for the needs of writers and searchers of every kind. Because of its inclusion of scientific subjects, it has been necessary to limit the political and statistical material which is the staple of many annual handbooks; the book does not aim to treat everything that could be useful, but throughout to select from the enormous mass of details those things which, in the judgment of experts in each field, are most significant, most permanent in value, most likely to answer the searchers' questions. "The AMERICAN YEAR BOOK does not aim to be a rival of other annual publications, either foreign or domestic. Details as to elections, the personnel of state and municipal governments, political personalities, societies, and educational, literary, and scientific institutions have deliberately been reduced, in order to make room for material of a kind not found in most of the annuals. The AMERICAN YEAR BOOK appeals first of all to students in all fields, who wish a record of progress, not only in their own, but in other departments of human endeavor. It is intended, also, as a handbook for busy men, editors, contributors, professional men, teachers, scientific workers, engineers, practical and business men, who wish to verify or confirm points that arise in their minds; and to serve as a handy book of reference material settling questions of fact. Throughout the work the object has been to make the volume convenient for the user; hence the YEAR BOOK is arranged on a plan entirely unique in publications of this general character. It is intended to make reference easier by subdividing material into departments, by putting cognate subjects into close association, and by liberal cross-references, making it easy to turn at once to the discussions relating to any subject. A full and carefully analyzed index is also provided in order to open up all remote connections and relations of a topic. This arrangement by groups of affiliated subjects, instead of haphazard or alphabetical succession of topics, is more convenient, and at the same time more scientific." The Supervisory Board of representatives of national learned and scientific societies, officially known as the American Year Book Corporation, continues actively to assist in the preparation of the YEAR BOOK. The members of this Board, which originally projected the work, remain individually responsible for the scope and content of the reviews of their respective fields; several are themselves contributors; many have coöperated with the Editor in securing contributors; and all have assisted the Editor with criticism and counsel. The Supervisory Board has now forty members, representing forty-four societies. One hundred and eighteen contributors have coöperated in the preparation of this issue. All are experts in their special fields, and the complete list printed on a subsequent page contains many names of eminence. The outstanding feature of the present issue, of course, is the history of the framing and enforcement of the peace treaties with which the Great War was ended. Scarcely less important is the survey of the manifold and acute national problems involved in the return of the United States to a peace basis. A section of special interest and permanent value presents a comprehensive statistical summary of the Great War, with particular attention to the part played by the American forces. Notwithstanding the emphasis on after-war problems, however, no element of our normal life has been slighted, and the volume carries the customary comprehensive review of American events and progress in politics, economics, sociology, the sciences, the arts, and the humanities. The acknowledgments of the Editor are due, not only to the contributors and members of the Supervisory Board, but also to the many public officials, Federal, state, and municipal, who have courteously responded to requests for statistical and other data, and to the readers who have offered disinterested criticism of previous issues. TABLE OF CONTENTS THE AMERICAN YEAR BOOK is arranged in thirty-one departments, in which Organization and Work of Congress.-The Sixty-Fifth Congress, Third Session. The Sixty-Sixth Congress, First Session. The Sixty-Sixth The Peace Conference.-Organization.--Publicity of Conference Trans- actions. Rules Governing Conference Proceedings.-Major Problems of the Conference.-The League of Nations. Origin.-The Covenant.- Russia. The Proposed Prinkipo Conference.-Negotiations with Admiral Kolchak.-Poland.-Conditions of Recognition.-The Free City of Dan- zig.-Fiume.-President Wilson's Position.-D'Annunzio's Exploit.- Shantung.-Secret Treaties of Allies with Japan.-Significance of the Shantung Privileges.—Japan's Diplomatic Strategy.-Refusal of China to Sign the Treaty with Germany.-The Sarre Basin.-The Treaty with Germany.-Presentation of the Terms.German Efforts to Negotiate.- The Final Treaty.-Modifications.-Germany's Acceptance.-Summary of the Treaty.Ratification of the Treaty.--Austrian Independence and the German Constitution.-The Treaty with Austria.-Dismemberment of the Hapsburg Empire.-Territorial Changes.-Protection of Minorities.-In- dependence of Austria Inalienable.-Reparation.-Financial Clauses.- Commercial Clauses.-Military, Naval and Air Clauses.-Signature of the Treaty.-The Problem of Rumania.-The Treaty with Bulgaria.- Frontiers.-Political Clauses.-Reparation and Financial Clauses.-Mili- tary, Naval and Air Clauses.-The Solution of Thrace.-Signature of the Treaty.-The Treaty of Alliance with France.-The Anglo-Persian |