Peace Treaty of Versailles - Fransamaltingvongeusau.com

THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND THE PEACE TREATIES 69
34.
ANNEX
CHAPTER III
PLEBISCITE
At the termination of a period of fifteen years from the coming into force of the present
treaty, the population of the territory of the Saar Basin will be called upon to indicate
their desires in the following manner: A vote will take place by communes or districts, on
the three following alternatives:
(a) maintenance of the regime established by the present Treaty and by this Annex;
(b) union with France;
(c) union with Germany.
All persons without distinction of sex, more than twenty years old at the date of the
voting, resident in the territory at the date of the signature of the present Treaty, will have
the right to vote. The other conditions, methods, and the date of the voting shall be fixed
by the Council of the League of Nations in such a way as to secure the freedom, secrecy
and trustworthiness of the voting
35.
The League of Nations shall decide on the sovereignty under which the territory is to be
placed, taking into account the wishes of the inhabitants as expressed by the voting.
(a) If, for the whole or part of the territory, the League of Nations decides in favour of
the maintenance of the regime established by the present Treaty and this Annex, Germany
hereby agrees to make such renunciation of her sovereignty in favour of the
League of Nations as the latter shall deem necessary. It will be the duty of the League
of Nations to take appropriate steps to adapt the regime definitively adopted to the
permanent welfare of the territory and the general interest;
(b) If, for the whole or part of the territory, the League of Nations decides in favour of
union with France, Germany hereby agrees to cede to France in accordance with the
decision of the League of Nations, all rights and title over the territory specified by the
League.
(c) If, for the whole or part of the territory, the League of Nations decides in favour of
union with Germany, it will be the duty of the League of Nations to cause the German
Government to be re-established in the government of the territory specified by the
League.
36.
If the League of Nations decides in favour of the union of the whole or part of the
territory of the Saar Basin with Germany, France’s rights of ownership in the mines
situated in such part of the territory will be repurchased by Germany in their entirety at a
price payable in gold. The price to be paid will be fixed by three experts, one nominated
by Germany, one by France, and one, who shall be neither a Frenchman nor a German,
by the Council of the League of Nations; the decision of the experts will be given by a
majority.