Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-03
PRESEN 7
s OF
PEACE 70
AUSTR|ANS
vanquished Nation Appeals
for Grace, Justice and
Kindly Treatment at
Hands of ViCtors.

St. German, June 2.-The repre-
sentatives of the vanquished nation
met the victors at today's ceremony
in the fifteenth century castle of St.
German to appeal for grace and
justice and kindly treatment. No
trace of the arrogant spirit with
which Count Won Brockdorff- Rant
zau, head of the German delegation,
attempted at Versailles to arraign
the allied powers as jointly re-
sponsible for the war and demanded
participant ton in the negotiations on
equal terms marked the speech of
DR.. Karl Renner, the Austrian
chancellor, who replied to Georges
Clemenceau, the president of the
conference.
The Austrian plenipotentiary,
speaking in French as a concession
to his auditors, did not seek to ex-
tenuate the guilt of the former
Austro-Hungarian government for
"the horrible crime of 1914"
He asked only that the full weight
Of the punishment should not fall
solely on the little mountain re-
public, which was all that was left
of the once mighty Austria, but that
it be regarded as only one of eight
new republics into which the old
monarchy had been divided and that
it be apportioned no more of the
penalties than it could bear.
Photographer Suffers Mishap.
The mishap of a photographer
who, in the midst of DR.. Renner's
speech, fell with a crash of shattered
glass into one of the museum cases,
and the blunders of the French Off
cial translator, who twice during the
German translation of the speech
went astray, causing gasps of
mingled horror and amusement.
also impaired the formal dignity of
the scene.
The Japanese and Chinese dele
gates were the first to arrive and
take their places at the table. They
we're closely followed by M. Gle
menceau.
The others flied in rapidly several
minutes before noon and all the
plenipotentiaries were in their places
except President Wilson and Colonel
House. Anxious glances were cast
at the empty chairs as the minutes
passed beyond the hour set for the
ceremony.
Feared for Presidents Safety.
Finally an official was sent to
learn if anything had happened. The
president appeared at 1910 and word
was Immediately sent to the head
quarters of the Austrians.
They entered one by one ten min
utes later through a door at the
rear of the hall. DR.. Renner was
calm and assured as if entering his
own house. He walked directly to
his seat and motioned his colleagues
to their places. The entire assem-
blage, which had risen up on the
entry of the Austrians, seated itself.
M. Clemenceau alone remained
standing and with scarcely an in
stant's pause the session started.
Ears which were eagerly strained
striking phrases on the origin of the
striking phrases nthe origin of the
war or Austria's guilt and punish
ment were disappointed. The Tiger
refrained from any political allusion
in his speech; he merely outlined
the procedure of the negotiations
and explained that only part of the
treaty was ready. He asked that
any replies or explanations to such
parts of the treaties as were laid
today before the Austrians be sub
mitted in writing within IS days.
Speaks in Easy Tone.
M. Clemenceau spoke in easy con-
versational tone, beftting such rou-
tine remarks, and at the end called
for translations, which were given
in Italian, as we'll as German and
English.
The French official who attempted
the German rendition opened by
addressing "the delegations of the
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