The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 10, 1919, Image 1
TBE SPMTEB W?TCHJE?N, Estabi
Consolidated Au.?. 2,1
TERMS OF TREATY
FINALLY OVEN
Last Act Comes Before Deliv
ery, of Document to Ger
i mans
- r rr ?
ALL POWERS ON
HAND AT CLOSING
Session Held at Foreign Office
With/ Great Crowds Gathered
Outside Building.
Paris, May 6 (By the Associated
Press).?The plenary peace conference
completed its work today so far as
Germany is concerned and at a secret
plenary session communicated the
terms of the peace treaty to all the
powers represented at the conference.
This was the last act before delivery
of the treaty to the Germans at Ver
-sailles tomorrow.
The session -w^s held in the foreign
office, with the same getting and dis
? t inguished personnel as at previous
public session except in the case of
. Italy, which today was represented by
. Dr. Silvio Crespi, the former food ad
ministrator, pending the arrival of
Premier Orlando and Foreign Min
ister Sinnino tomorrow.
M. Clemenceau presided with Pres
. ident Wilson at his right and Premier
Lloyd George at his left, with the en
tire membership of the conference
grouped around the table.
Enormous throngs surrounded the
foreign office watching the arrival of
the delegates. Those who assembled
within the building included Marshal
Foch and the British vice admiral, Sir
Rosslyn Wemyss, with their staffs.
While the session was a secret one,
it is understood that Capt. Andre
Tardieu, representing France, ex
plained the provisions of the docu
ment and was questioned from time
to time, the explanations given being
full and free.
Paris, May G.-p-Marshal Foch in a
speech at the plenary session de
clared that the security given France
was inadequate from ' a military
point of view and said it was his ;>er
,,/sonaI conviction that the treaty
should not be signed.
The marshal emphasized the neces
sity of France holding the bridge
heads along the Rhine and said occu
pation limited to 15 years was rot
sufficient.
The Chinese delegates presented a
brief, formal and dignified protest
concerning the disposition of Kiao
Chau. The Portuguese delegates ex
pressed dissatisfaction regarding the
treatment accorded Portugal.
The protestations made by the va
rious delegates are not regarded ; s
serious as no definite reservations
were made by the protestants.
Signor Crespi said he desired to
j make reservations concerning any
provisions in the treaty not accept
able to Italy.
Lu Cheng-Hsiang, the Chinese for
eign minister, asked for reconsidera
tion of the decision regarding Shang
Tung and Kiao Chau.
The Chinese foreign minister said
that in the opinion of the Chinese
delegation regard for justice or for the
without regard for justice or for the
protection of the territorial integrity
of Cfcwa. He said that if reconsider
ation was impossible he desired to
make reservation on behalf of China.
London, May 6.?A dispatch to
the central news from Paris says the
most interesting feature of the plenary
session of the peace confernce today
was the unanimous adoption of arti
cles providing for the trial of tne
former German emperor and those re
sponsible for crimes and atrocities'
during the war.
Paris, May 6 (By the Associated
Press).?The clause regarding respon
sibilities which was not acted on at
the previous session of the plenary
conference, it is understood, has been
incorporated in the tinal draft of the
treaty.' This provides for the trial of
the former German emperor for *'a
supreme offense against the interna
tional morality and the sanctity cf
treaties." by a tribunal composed of
representatives of the United States,
Great Britain, France, Italy and Ja
pan.
Versailles, May 6 (By the Associ
ated Press).?The report that the
German ministers. Landsberg and
Giesberts, have left the German pe u:e
delegation and returned to Berlin is
untrue.
^aris, May 7.?France, the United
States and Great Britain have con
cluded an agreement giving supple
mentary guarantees for France, and
security for the peace treaty. The Echo
de Paris today says it is learned. It
adds that Clemenceau. Lloyd George
and President Wilson will be at the
meeting this morning to draft in
final form this additional pact, which
will not be secret.
Washington, May 7.?Secretary
Baker announced today that by Aug
ust the last mar! of the American
expeditionary forces would be with
drawn from France.
Par53, May 7.?German delegates to
the peace conference declare th.^t
they will sign the peace treaty, but
.Germany will not pay an indemnity.
feftea April, 1850. "Bo JusS a
881.
PEACE CONGRESS
AT VERSAILLES
The Opening Session Was Brief:
and Business Like in The
Extreme
I
j CLEMENCEAU SAYS NO
I PLACE FOR WORDS
?
I Count Von Brockdorf Admits
Germany's Complete Defeat
And Acknowledges That Pow
er is Broken.
Versailles, May 7 (Ha^ s).??In op
; ening the session of the peace con
gress, M. Clemenceau, the presiding
i officer, speaking: to the German pleni
potentiaries said:
"It is unnecessary to express need
I less words. You have before you the
plenipotentiaries of the. small and
j great powers united in this most
I cruel-war, which was imposed upon
j them. The hour has arrived for a
? heavy settlement of the^ account."
I Paul Dutast, secretary general of
j the peace conference, delivered a
I copy of the treaty to Count von
j Brockdorff-Rantzau, head of lhe Ger
man delegation who made a brief re
ply:
Count von Brockdorff-Rantzau said:
"We declare that we do not deny
the extent of our defeat. We know
the power of the German armies is
broken."
He was unable to admit that Ger
many was solely culpable, and de
manded that the allies make peace,
according to President Wilson's points.
Germany pledged itself to repair
the wrong done to Belgium and gave
assurance of the reconstruction of
j the territories in northern France,
i Count von Brockdorff-Rantzau
[asked for the liberation of German
I prisoners and said that Germany
[adopted the league of nations.
Following is the address of M.
Clemenceau to the German delegates
at the peace congress today:
"Gentlemen, Plenipotentiaries of
the German Empire: j
"It is neither the time nor the j
place for superllous words. You have
before you the accredited plenipoten-i
tiaries of all the small and great
powers united to fight together in the
war that has been so cruelly imposed
on them. The time has come when
, we must settle our accounts.
I "You have asked for peace. We are
ready to give you peace. We shall
present to you now a book which con
tains our conditions. You will be
giver every facility to examine these
conditions, and the time necessary for
it. Everything will be done with the
courtesy that is the privilege of civil
Sized nations.
"To give you my thought complete
I ly. you will lind us ready to give you
I any explanation you want, but we
?must say at the same time that this
; second treaty of Versailles has cost
j us too much not to take on ourselves
1 the necessary precautions and guar
antees that the peace shall be a last
I ing one.
I "I will give you notice of the proce
. dure that has been adopted by the
conference for discussion and if any
?one has any observations to offer he
: will have the right to do so. Xo oral
(discussion is to take place and the
I observations of the German delega
tion will have to be submitted in writ
? ing.
) "The German plenpiotentiaries will
know that they have the maximum
period of 1 ."> days within which to
[present in English and French their
i written observations on the whole of
; the treaty. Before expiration of the
aforesaid period of 3? days the Ger
!man delegates will be entitled to send
I their reply on particular headings of
' the treaty or to ask questions in re
i gard to them.
i "After having examined the obser
i vat ions presented within aforemen
i tioned period the supreme council will
.send their answer in writing to the
j German delegation and determine the
I period within which the final global
I (worldwide) answer must be given
I by this delegation.
"The president wishes to add that
When we receive, after two or three
] or four or live days, any observa- i
lions from the German delegation or
:any point of the treaty, we shall not1
[wait until the end of the 15 days to ?
give our answe r. We shall at once I
.proceed in the way indicated by this!
document.' ' <
i
M. Clemenceau spoke in French. !
Count von Brockdorff-Rantzau,?
I head of the German delegation,
speaking in German. s..ld:
"Gentlemen: We are deeply im
pressed with the sublime task which !
has brought us hither to give a dura-,
jble peace to the world. We are under
no illusion as to the extent of our de
feat and degree of our want of pow- j
er. We know that the power of the!
German arms is broker. We know
;he power of the hatred which we en
counter here, and we have heard lbe
passionate demand that the vanquish
ers may make us pay as the van-'
quished, and sl.-jll pun5t?h those who
are worthy of being pi: .-bed.
"It is demanded from us that we
.hall confess ourselves to be the only
ones guilty of the war. Such a con
fession in my mouth would be a lie.
We are far from declining any re-:
sponsibility that this great war of the.
world has come to p:iss and that it
I was made in the way in which it was
1 made. The attitude of the former
nd Fear/ not?De* a? the en da Thon ?J
SUMTER, S. C, SAT?
SPECIAL SESSION
CONGRESS CALLED
President Wilson Issues Pro
| clamation by Cable For
Special Session
iTO MEET ON
!
j MAY NINETEENTH
i _
i
iThe Date is Much Earlier Than
i
!
Party Leaders Expected
Washington.'1 May 7.?Presidenl
I Wilson issued a call, by cable todaj
j for a special session of congress tc
j meet Monday, May lyth. Secretary
I Tumulty, in making the announce
j ment, Siiid it will be impossible foi
j the president to be here on the open
i ing day. The date is fixed much earl
iier than Democratic leaders expected
j Officials said in naming the earlyfdat?
the. president was guided largely b>
advices from Secretary Glass as to the
necessity of passing appropriatior
measures, which failed in the closing
days of the last session.
MAY GO HOME
! FOR ORDERS
I Rumored That Members of Ger
j
man Delegation Will Con
I suit Government
I NO COMMUNICATION
! YET MADE ON TREATY
j All .Exchanges Between Dele
gation and Germany H^Ve
Been Kept Secret.
j Paris. May Intimations reach
! ing the Peace Conference lead to tht
I belief that two or three members ol
j the German peace delegation will
probably return to Germany to con
sult their government, the others re
maining at Versailles. Germany has
not yet submitted any communica
tion regarding the peac* treaty, all
j exchanges between the delegation and
j Berlin being kept secret. A copy oi
! the treaty was sent to Berlin last
! night by courier.
German government at The Hague
I peace conference, its actions and omis
sions in the tragic 12 days of July
: have certainly contributed to the dis
aster. But we energetically deny thai
Germany and its people, who wer?'
convinced that they were making a
war of defer.se, were alone guilty,
i "Nobody will want to contend that
I the disaster took its course only in
the disastrous moment when the suc
cessor to the throne of Austria-Hun
gary fell the victim of murderous
hands. In the last 50 years the im
perialism of all the European states
Juts chronicle poisoned the interna
jtional situation. The policy of retal
iation and the policy of expansion and
jtlie disregard of the rights of peoples
I to determine their own destiny have
contributed to the illness of Europe.
I which saw its crisis in the world war.
"Russian mobilization took from
[the statesmen the possibility of heal
? ing and gave the decision into the
i hands of the military powers. Public
j opinion in all the countries of our
j adversaries is resounding with the
I crimes which Germany is said to
ihave committed in the war. Here also
j we are rea<ly to confess wrong that
I may have been done.
"We have not come here to belittle
[the responsibility of those who have
'waged the war politically and econom
j ically or to deny any crimes which
! have been committed against the
' rights' of peoples. We repeat the dec
laration which has been made in the
[ German reichstag at the beginning of
the war, that is to say "Wrong: has
b< fjn done to Belgium' and we are
willing to repair it.
"But itt the manner of making war
also Germany is not the only guilty
otie. Every nation knows of deeds and
of people, which the best nationals
only remember with regret. I do not
want to answer reproaches by re
proaches, but I ask them to remem
ber when reparation is demanded, not
to f??rge1 the armistice. I' took ns six
weeks until we v<>t ir at last, and six
more until w<- came to know your
conditions of peace.
"Crimes in war may not be excus
able, but they are committed in the
struggle for victory and in the de
fense of nat ioi!.-i 1 existence and pas
sions are aroused which make the
conscience of people blunt.
"The hundreds of thousands of non
combatants who have perished since
November 11 by reason of the block
ade were killed with cold delibera
tion after our adversaries had con
auered and victory had been assured
to them. Think of that when you
speak of guilt and of punishment."
ittft't at be thy Country's, Tay God's a
RDAY, MAY 10, 1919,
NAVY FLYER
HOP OFF TO-DAY
Three Seaplanes Left Roe^away
Beach for Halifax at Ten
O'clock
FIRST LEG FIVE
j .
HUNDRED MILESi
The Route Runs to Trepassy,
Azores, Portugal and Thence
to England.
j New York, May S.?The first trans
?j Atlantic flight was begun today when
? I three navy seaplanes left Rockaway
j Beach at 10 A. M. on the first leg of
j the journey; from Rockaway to Hal
'! ifax\ 540 miles.
j Seaplane NC-3 was the first plane
to leave, and NC-1 and NC-4 follow
ed closely. They are expected to ar
rive at Halifax before night. Thence
j the rot *e runs four hundred and sixty
? i miles to Trepassey, thirteen hundred
11 and fifty miles to Azores, another
;i eight hundred miles to Portugal and
1 on to Plymouth, Eng.
NATIONS STUDY
PEACE TREATY
lEyes of World Focused on The
Versailles Peace Con
gress
MANY QUESTIONS
ARE BEING ASKED
j Generally Believed That Ger
I .- many Will Sign But Must Be
! Forced to Make Good
?
? Washington. May s.?The eyes of
J the world today are focused on the
treaty of Versailles. Statesmen and
diplomats everywhere are turning
over the phrases of the. official pub
lished summary of the terms to form
; their opinions.
In the United States the question?
being asked were: How did it af
! feet America? Will the senate rati
! fy it? Will Germany accept? Offi
cial Washington, with the president
?and secretary of State in Paris, con
i gress in adjournment and many Iead
I ers of both sides absent, was rather
; devoid of authoritative explanation of
the first two questions. For the third j
the generally accepted opinion seem-!
ed to be thai, the Germans would ac-!
cept the convention. but tiiat it j
might require economic pressure to j
being about the fulfillment of some ol j
its terms.
Division of Colonies
England, Australia, New Zea
land and Japan Control Ger
man Possessions
; Paris, .May 7 (By the Associated
<Vn<s)?The council of. three has!
i agreed upon the disposition of the!
'former German colonies. The mandate
I for the German Samoan Islands goes'
j to New Zealand, and for the other
former German possession south of
? the Equator to Australia. Japan isi
to be mandatory of the islands north)
: of the Equator.
I The official communication on this j
; subject says:
j "The council of three, M. Clemen- j
j ceau. President Wilson and Mr. J.loyd
George yesterday decided as to the!
j disposition of the former German ?;oi
! onies as follows:
??Togoiand and Kamerun?France I
[and Great Britain shall make a joint!
j recommendation to the league of tia- |
tions as to their future.
"German East Africa?The man-]
date shall be held by Great Britain.
'?German Southwest Africa?The!
imandate shall be held by the union!
of South Africa.
"The German Samoa Islands?Th^ j
j mandate shall be held by New ?ea-j
land. j'
The other German Pacific posses-'
sions south of the Equator excluding!
the German Samoan Islands and .\'mr:
the mandate shall be held by AUS- j1
India. !-j
"Nauru (Pleasant Island) ? Tbc!
mandate shall be given to the British i
Empire
"The German Pacific Islands ;ee-h;
of Equator - the mandate shall be
held by Japan. j ^
Two and Half Billion u
Washington. May S.?New reports
of subscriptions to the Victory loan 1
today sent the nation's total above two j
and one-half billions and the manag-] i
ers hoped it would reach three bil
lion by tonight. 1
Jed marc.*
TSE TRTJ1
SYNOPSIS OF
PEACE TERMS
Official Summary Given Out
By Peace Conference
Wednesday
TERMS MADE DRASTIC
TO FIT CRIME
i
I
Germany Will Be Forced to Pay
j in Part for Attack on Civiliza
tion.
New York. May 7.?The treaty of
peace, submitted to the German dele
gates at Versailles today by the rep
resentatives of the associated powers
reduces Germany to military impo
tence, deprives her of her colonies, re
i stores Alsace a-.d Lorraine to France
and provides for repatriation to the
lations injured by her in the war.
This was made known in an official
summary of the treaty, cabled front:
;he American peace commission to the
:ommittee on public information in
Xew York. At the same time official
announcement was made that Presi
. dent Wilson himself agrees to propose
to the senate an agreement that the
United States in conjunction witt
Great Britain, would go to the as
sistance of France in case of an un
provoked attack by Germany. The
announcement of this proposed agree
ment was made in a statement -sup
plementing the official summary ol
?**e peace treaty which reads:
?In addition to the securities af
forded in the treaty of peace, th(
president of the- United States ha;
j pledged himself to propose to the sen
? ate of the United States, and th<
j prime minister of Great Britain ha;
pledged himself to propose to the par
Iiament of Oreat Britain, an pnsage
ment. subject to the approval of th<
council of the league of rations, t(
come immediately to the assistance o
I France in case of unprovoked attacl
by Germany."
""he main points in the peace treat:
i!c. ovv:
Alsace and Lorraine go to France
All the bridges over the Rhine 01
I (heir borders are to be in French cen
I irol.
j The port of Danzig is permanentl:
j internationalized and most of uppei
Silesia is ceded to Poland, whose in
dependence Germany recognizes. Po
i land also receives the province 0
Posen and that portion of the province
of West Prussia west of the Vistula.
The Saare coal basin is temporarilj
[internationalized. The coal mines'gc
j o France. Germany recognizes the
I lotal independence of German-Austria
and Czecho-SIovakia.
I Germany's colonies are taken from
her by the clause in which she re
nounces all her territorial and polit
ical rights outside Europe.
The league of nations will work out
the mandatory system for governing
these colonies.
Eelgium is conditionally given the
I Malmedy and Eupen district of Prus
I sia bordering on Belgium with the op
portunity to be given the inhabitants
[to protest. The league of nations has
j the final decision.
Luxemburg is set free from the Ger.
I man customs union.
All concessions and territory in Chi
:ia must be renounced. Shantung is
ceded to Japan. Germany recognizes
the French in Morocco and the Brit
ish protectorate over Egypt.
German troops and authorities must
evacuate Schleswig-Holstein north of
the Kiel Canal within ten days after
peace. A commission will be appoint
ed to supervise a vote of self-deter
mination in the territory and the dis
tricts wishing to join Denmark will
be ceded by Germany.
Helgoland must be demolished and
by German labor the Kiei Canal must
be opened to all nations.
The German cables in dispute are
surrendered.
Germany may not have an army of
more than 100.000 men and can not
resort to conscription.
She must raze all her forts for ~>0
kilometers east of the Rhine and is al
most entirely prohibited from pro- j
ducing war materials. Violation of j
the 7,0 kilometer zone restriction will
be considered an act of war.
Only six capital ships, of not more'
than 10,000 tons each, are allowed,
Germany for her navy, she is permit
ted six light cruisers. 12 destroyers,
and 12 torpedo boats in addition to 1
six battleships but no submarines.
All civilian damages arc to be re-j
imbursed by Germany, her initial
payment to be 20.000.000.000 marks, j
with subsequent payments to be se
cured by bonds
The must replace shipping, ton for
ton. handing over a great part of her
merchant tonnage and turning out!
new const ruction for the purpose. She
must also devote her resources to re- ;
building the devastated region.
Parts of Germany will be occupied!
>n a diminishing scale until repara-!
inn is made.
Germany must agree to the trial ofj
Former Emperor William by an inter
national court for a supreme offense ]
lgainst international morality and to
:he trial of others of her subjects for.
violations of the laws and customs of;
var.
The allies and Germany aceept the
eague of nations, Germany, however, j
icoepting only in principle and not as
1 member.
All treaties and agreements withj
Bolshevik Russia must be abrogated1
3 SOUTHRON, EstabUsbed Jone, IUI
VoLXLVHI. No. 26.
FRAMING TERMS
! FOR AUSTRIA
i
j Council of Four Now at Work
i
j
On Text of Treaty
-_ :r\
! ? ? ? *
j BIG INDEMNITY TO ^ ^
BE EXACTED
I ' -
j Premier Orlando Present To-day
j When Program for Austria
i Was Taken Up.
! _
I Paris, May 8.?The council of four
j with Premier Orlando of Italy pres
] ent, began today to arrange the pro
! gram for the presentation of the peace
terms to the Austro-Hungarian and
Bulgarian delegations. The Austrian
treaty has begun to take form, por
tions having already been drafted.
It appears that instead of Germany
! being required to pay the entire in
demnity demanded by the allies, a
considerable sum will be demanded
of Austria, the estimate at present
being five billion crowns.
This indemnity provision and the
delimitation of .new states and fron
? j tiers will be the main features of the
i j treaty.
j China Refuses To
I Sign Treaty
\I. -
j Japan Warns China About the
Anti-Japanese Agitations
?l _
? i Pekin. Tuesday May 6.?(By the
1 j Associated Press.-The Chinese cabi
5 j net at a meeting today decided to in
? struct the Chinese delegates in Paris
- not to sign a peace treaty assigning
? the German rights in Shantung to
> I the Japanese.
[ j Japan Warns China
j Tokio. May 7.? (By the Associa
Jted Press.)?Japan has notified China
I that the anti-Japanese'' agitation' in
! Peking at present is liable to cause
^'misunderstandings. The Japanese
! Government also has adviser the Chi
. nese Government that it would be
. well to prohibit the ''national, dis
[ i grace" meeting planned today in Pe?
! king.
j Over The Top
.Five Counties Have Raised
j Quotas of Victory Loan
J Columbia. May S.?Charles H.
Gerald, secretary of the State central,
j committee, reported today that the'
j following counties have gone over the
j top in the Victory Loan drive: Union,
j Charleston, Calhoun, Darlington and
! Marlboro
Mr. Gerald says that reports from
j Greenville. Anderson and Spartan
I burg are very encouraging and he ex
; pects those counties with full quotas
j to report in the safe column in the
next fcriy-eight hours,
i ????????
j Guardian of Armenia
?United States is Asked to Be
j come Mandatory
Paris, May 8.?It is expected that
! the United States will be asked to be
| come the mandatory for Armenia. The
j indications are that President Wilson
j will submit the matter to congress.
as well as the treaty of Bucharest
I with Rumania.
I German prisoners of war are to be
j repatriated, but the allies will hold
; German officers as hostages for Ger
mans accused of crimes.
! "The preamble names as parties of
the one part the United States, the
British empire, France, Italy and
Japan, described as the principal al
lied and associated powers, and Bel
gium. Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba,
Ecuador, Greece. Guatemala, Haiti,
the Hedjaz. Honduras. Liberia Nica
ragua. Panama. Peru. Poland, Por
tugal. Rumania. Servia. Siam, Czecho
slovakia and Uruguay, who. with the
five above are described as the allied
and associated powers, and on the
other part. Germany.
"It states that: Bearing in mind
that on the recuest of the then im
perial German government an armis
tice was granted on November 11,
I i> 1S by the principal allied and as
sociated powers in order thai a treaty
of peace might he concluded with
her. and. whereas the allied and as
sociated powers being equally desirous
that the war in which they were suc
cessfully involved, directly or indirect
ly, and which originated in the decla
ration of war by Austria-Hungary on
July 29, 1914, against Servia. the
declaration of war by Germany
against Russia on August 1. 1914 and
against France on August 3, 1914, and
in the invasion of Belgium, should be
replaced by a firm, just and durable
peace, the plenipotentiaries (having
communicated their full powers found
in good and due form) have agreed as
follows:
"From the coming into force of the
present treaty the state of war will
terminate. From the moment and
subject to the provisions of this
treaty official relations with Germar
and with each of the German states
will be resumed by the allied and as
sociated powers. _