Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye/Part VI

Part VI&mdash;Prisoners of War and Graves

Article 160
The repatriation of Austrian prisoners of war and interned civilians shall take place as soon as possible after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and shall be carried out with the greatest rapidity.

Article 161
The repatriation of Austrian prisoners of war and interned civilians shall, in accordance with Article 160, be carried out by a Commission composed of representatives of the Allied and Associated Powers on the one part and of the Austrian Government on the other part.

For each of the Allied and Associated Powers a Sub-Commission composed exclusively of representatives of the interested Power and of delegates of the Austrian Government shall regulate the details of carrying into effect the repatriation of prisoners of war.

Article 162
From the time of their delivery into the hands of the Austrian authorities, the prisoners of war and interned civilians are to be returned without delay to their homes by the said authorities.

Those among them who, before the war, were habitually resident in territory occupied by the troops of the Allied and Associated Powers are likewise to be sent to their homes, subject to the consent and control of the military authorities of the Allied and Associated armies of occupation.

Article 163
The whole cost of repatriation from the moment of starting shall be borne by the Austrian Government, who shall also provide means of transport and working personnel as considered necessary by the Commission referred to in Article 161.

Article 164
Prisoners of war and interned civilians awaiting disposal or undergoing sentence for offences against discipline shall be repatriated irrespective of the completion of their sentence or of the proceedings pending against them.

This stipulation shall not apply to prisoners of war and interned civilians punished for offences committed subsequent to 1 June 1919.

During the period pending their repatriation, all prisoners of war and interned civilians shall remain subject to the existing regulations, more especially as regards work and discipline.

Article 165
Prisoners of war and interned civilians who are awaiting trial or undergoing sentence for offences other than those against discipline may be detained.

Article 166
The Austrian Government undertakes to admit to its territory without distinction all persons liable to repatriation.

Prisoners of war or Austrian nationals who do not desire to be repatriated may be excluded from repatriation; but the Allied and Associated Governments reserve to themselves the right either to repatriate them or to take them to a neutral country or to allow them to reside in their own territories.

The Austrian Government undertakes not to institute any exceptional proceedings against these persons or their families, nor to take any repressive or vexatious measures of any kind whatsoever against them on this account.

Article 167
The Allied and Associated Governments reserve the right to make the repatriation of Austrian prisoners of war or Austrian nationals in their hands conditional upon the immediate notification and release by the Austrian Government of any prisoners of war and other nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers who are still held in Austria against their will.

Article 168
The Austrian Government undertakes:

(1) to give every facility to Commissions to enquire into the cases of those who cannot be traced; to furnish such Commissions with all necessary means of transport; to allow them access to camps, prisons, hospitals and all other places; and to place at their disposal all documents, whether public or private, which would facilitate their enquiries;

(2) to impose penalties upon any Austrian officials or private persons who have concealed the presence of any nationals of any of the Allied or Associated Powers, or who have neglected to reveal the presence of any such after it had come to their knowledge.

Article 169
The Austrian Government undertakes to restore without delay from the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty all articles, money, securities and documents which have belonged to nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers and which have been retained by the Austrian authorities.

Article 170
The High Contracting Parties waive reciprocally all repayment of sums due for the maintenance of prisoners of war in their respective territories.

Article 171
The Allied and Associated Governments and the Austrian Government will cause to be respected and maintained the graves of the soldiers and sailors buried in their respective territories.

They agree to recognise any Commission appointed by the several Governments for the purpose of identifying, registering, caring for or erecting suitable memorials over the said graves, and to facilitate the discharge of its duties.

Furthermore, they agree to afford, so far as the provisions of their laws and the requirements of public health allow, every facility for giving effect to requests that the bodies of their soldiers and sailors may be transferred to their own country.

Article 172
The graves of prisoners of war and interned civilians who are nationals of the different belligerent States and have died in captivity shall be properly maintained in accordance with Article 171 of this Part of the present Treaty.

The Allied and Associated Powers on the one part and the Austrian Government on the other part reciprocally undertake also to furnish to each other:

(1) a complete list of those who have died, together with all information useful for identification;

(2) all information as to the number and positions of the graves of all those who have been buried without identification.