Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-25
Final Date of Exchange of Ra-
tificatiOns of Versailles Treaty
Depends on Speed of Allied
Missions Now at Work
MAY TAKE FORTNIGHT
Allies Arc EndenvOring to- Ascertain
If Gcrmnny's Estimate of Available
Dock Tonnage VIII Compensate for
Scnpa Flow Damages

Paris, Dec %. tBy the Associated Press)
The final date of the repeatedly post
poned exchange of ratification of the
treaty of Versailles now depends upon
the speed which the allied missions in
Germany can verify the German figures
of available floating dock tonnage de-
manded by the allies as compensation for
the sinking of the German warshps at
Scapa Flow, the Associated Press was in
formed to this effect to-day at the head
quarters of the German peace delegation.
Baron Won Lersner. head of the German
representatives, said he thought this
would take at least a fortnight. if not
longer, in view of the difficulties of trans
portation in Germany and the detail in
volved in varifying the figures.
IA decided misunderstanding is reflected
in the Paris press during the past two
days regarding my projected trip to Ber-
lin. which / subsequently abandoned" he
said. MY object was to hurry, rather
than delay, the putting of the Versailles
treaty into effect. From Monday night
until Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock
was deprived of any communication with
my government by either telegraph or tee-
phone, in consequence of which Berlin
had no knowledge of the entente note or
of the verbal communication given on this
subject by NJ. Dutasta (secretary of the
peace conference) until this morning.
| "I thought that a trip to Berlin and a
verbal explanation of the situation to the
government would facilitate matters. The
inference by the French papers that the
German government wanted to delay the
exchange of ratifications is absolutely
unfounded. We want nothing more than
effective restoration of peace.
| 10 Of
soldiers. prisoners in France who are
obliged to spend another Christmas in
captivity though hostilities have been
suspended for more than year.
! THE fact that Herr Won Simson ar
rived in Paris last Sunday to start ne
gotiations for putting the treaty into ef-
| feet proves that we had no intention to
delay matters"
Regarding the entente note. Baron Won
Lersner said its tenor surprised him. as
1t seemed so little in accord with the
/ progr. IS of the negotiations.
| '"rhe Paris Press he said even an
nounced our readiness to deliver over
Iall the harbor material we could spare
without endangering our economic ex-
istence as compensation for the Scapa
| Flow sinkings, and forecase an early
agreement on this question. If we did
not tr't tHal lar, IL WAS NOT our Idult
our experts have not been asked to talk
, the matter over since a week ago"
Baron Won Lersner asserted that ac-
cording to the verbal communication
of NJ. Dutasta at the time of the de-
| livery of the note, the entente made q
| elimination in the port tonnage de-
manded, conditional upon verificatior
of Germany's claim that the entente es.
Inmates of the harbor material avail
able were erroneous,
II want to say in this connection
he continued. that the statements in
the French press that we were dis
loyal and gave out wrong figures or
this tonnage is absolutely unfounded
This the investigation would prove
promised NJ. Dutasta to ask my gov
ernment to give all facilities for such
investigation and have no doubt that
they will be accorded at once
I'VE both agreed that it should be
possible in short time to verify our
! statements and come to definite
agreeemtn regarding harbor mater.
ials to be delivered by Germany.
hope that our expectations soon will
be fulfilled and that peace will fin
ally be put into effect"
After the chief of the German dele
cation had informed NJ. Dutasta thai
he thought II advisable to go Berlir
communication by special wire was
restored. according to the informa
ton given out at the headquarters
of the German delegation and 1t was
decided to telegraph the note ant
verbal communication, which takins
into consideration the time for cod
ing, transmission and DECIDING
could not come to the knowledge oi
the German government before the
morning of December %.