IV

THE TREATY

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force a list of all the rights and interests in question," whether already granted, contingent or not yetexercised," and any which are not so communicatedwithin this period will automatically lapse in favourof the Allied Governments. 1 How far an edict of thischaracter can be made binding on a German national,whose person and property lie outside the jurisdictionof his own Government, is an unsettled question ; butall the countries specified in the above list are opento pressure by the Allied authorities, whether bythe imposition of an appropriate Treaty clause orotherwise.

(c) There remains a third provision more sweepingthan either of the above, neither of which affectsGerman interests in neutral countries. The Repara-tion Commission is empowered up to May 1, 1921,to demand payment up to £1,000,000,000 in suchmanner as they may fix, "whether in gold, com-modities, ships, securities or otherwise." 2 Thisprovision has the effect of entrusting to the Repara-tion Commission for the period in question dictatorialpowers over all German property of every descriptionwhatever. They can, under this Article, point to anyspecific business, enterprise, or property, whetherwithin or outside Germany, and demand its surrender ;and their authority would appear to extend not onlyto property existing at the date of the Peace, butalso to any which may be created or acquired at any

1 Art. 260. 2 Art. 235.