Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-07-04
GERMANS SIGN
PEACE TREATY
AT VERSAILLES
Wilson, CIemenceau and Lloyd
George Also Affix Sigma
lures to Document.
HALL or MIRRORS SCENE
Signing of Document Formally Brings
to Close the Worlds Greatest War;
Ceremony, Although Simple, Was
the Most Impressive of
Its Kind in History.

Versailles, June 30-President VII
son and the American delegation COM
pleted signing the peace treaty at 3:l4
o'clock Saturday afternoon, Paris time.
1t also was signed by DR.. Hermann
Mueller at 3:12 and Johannes Bell at
3:13 p. m. for the Germans.
The American delegation signed In
this order: Secretary Lansing, Henry
White, Colonel House and General
Bliss.
The other delegations headed by the
British signed after the American
plenipotentiaries in the order set forth
In the treaty.
Puts Question to Foe.
Premier Clemenceau put the direct
question to the Germans whether they
were willing to sign and execute 10y
ally all the terms. The other dele
gates did not arise when the Germans
came into the hall.
At 3:44 cannon began to boom, an
nouncing the completion of the cere-
mony of signing. The proceedings
were formally closed at :49 o'clock.
The protocol was signed by all those
who signed the treaty. The Rhine ar
rangement was signed by the Ger
man, American, Belgian, British and
French plenipotentiaries. All OF the
plenipotentiaries having signed the
treaty. M. Clemenceau declared the ses-
sion closed.
The peace treaty was deposited on
the table in the Hall of Mirrors at
2:10 O'Clock by William Martin OF the
French foreign Office. 1t was inclosed
In a stamped leather case.
Premier Clemenceau entered the pal
ace at 2 20 O'Clock.
General SHUTS Signs Under Protest.
Gen. Jan Christian SHUTS, one of the
delegates representing the Union of
South Africa, signed the peace treaty
| under protest. He objected to certain
territorial settlements and made a
lengthy statement. General Smuts said
that the indemnities stipulated could
not be accepted without grave injuries
to the industrial revival of Europe.
He declared Il would be to the inter-
ests of the allied powers to render the
stipulations more tolerable and mod
crate.
Chinese Refuse to Sign.
The Chinese delegation shortly be-
fore the hour set for the signing OF
the treaty, reiterated their intention
not to sign.
President Wilson entered the Hall
Of Mirrors at 2:50 o'clock. All the
delegates there were seated except the
Chinese.
The Germans entered the hall at ex-
actly three o'clock.
A few minutes before three o'clock
the IS enlisted men from the American,
British and French armies entered the
ball amid decOrous caors.
The credentials of DR.. Herman
Mueller and DR.. Johannes Bell, Ger
man plenipotentiaries sent here tC
sign the treaty of peace, were ap
proved in the morning.
The treaty Of peace with Germany
was signed in the historic Hall of Mir
ors under the watchful eyes of forty
Eve stalwart American doughboys
French poilus and British Tommie:
the real ARTISANS of the peace which
has been slowly taking definite form
during the long months of the Pari:
conference.
A second change in the program wa:
introduced as a result of the attitude
taken by the German government
press and public toward the execution
and binding validity of the treaty
The German plenipotentiaries, instead
of being regarded from the momen
of signature as Representatives of ;
formally friendly power with whicl
diplomatic relations had been renew
ed, left the hall after the signatur
separately by the door through whicl
they entered, not joining the genera
procession of delegates to the terrac
of the chateau to watch the playin
of the great fountain of Versailles.
End of Worlds Greatest War.
Washington. June 30.-Signing a
| Versailles of the peace treaty with Ger
| many, arranged for today, formal,
| brings to a close the worlds creates
| war.
| Although technical termination o
| the war will come to each nation onl
| when the treaty is approved by tn
| ratifying power of that nation, TO al
| lntents and purposes the conflict tina
| began in August, 1914, will end whe
| In the historic Hall of Mirrors the az
| credited peace commissioners of the a
/ lied and associated powers and of Gel
| many afiix their signatures to tn
treaty. Likewise will be brought t
an end the armistice granted German
last November IL, and also the perio
of uncertainty and doubt as to tn
final outcome of the peace negoti;
tons.
With the departure from Paris
President Wilson preparatory to sal
ing from Brest on the George Was
ington the center of interest az r
CARDS the treaty shifts TO the senat