Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-06-30
GERMANS sign TREATY AT VERSAILLES
ON ANNIVERSARY FERDlNAND'S MURDER
MOMENT0US CEREMONY QUICKLY OVER
Marked Absence of
Pagenhy of Middle
Ages German En-
vOys Sign at 3-12-13
p. NJ Pfesid e n t
Wilson a Minute
Later

Versailles. June .s-(Er the Assoc .
a.ea Presss-Germany and the Al
he'd and associated powers signed the
peace terms here To-Day n the same
imperial hall where the Germans
humoied the French SO ANONYMOUSLY
forty-eight wears ago.
This Formally ended the world war
winch lasted Just LSery-seven Gays
less than five years. Today, the cay
of peace. Is the fifth anniversary Of
the murder OF Archduke Francis
Ferdinand of Austria a. SRra1eVo.
The ceremony of signing the pence
terms Wa hrief. Premier Clemen-
ceau called the session to order N
the Hall Il Mirrors of the chateau OF
Versailles n 80 clock. The, sign
ing BEGAN when DR.. Hermann Mnel-
Ter and Jahanes Bell. the German
siEnator,es. affixed their names. Herr
Muelle- signed II 3.1c o'clock and
Herr Bell a. sIs . clock. President
Wilson, first Of the Allied delegates.
signed minute later Al IA
clock the mumeurous session was
concluded.
Al the diplomats md members Of
their parties wore conventional civil
i'm clothes There wns a marked
lack IF gold lace and .pagenfry
There were few Of the tancifu uni
forms Of the middle ages whose ira
dirions and practices ara so sternly
condemned IN the great, seal-coVered
document signed to-day.
A spot Of color as made against
this sumbre background by the
French guards. A few selected me-1-
bers of the guard we're respiende1i
in their red-plumed silrer helmets
and red. mite and blue uniforms.
As a contrast with the Franco
German peace session Of ISL, held 4
the same hall. there were present
TO-DAY g-rzZied French veterans q
the Frcnco- Prussian war They re-
placed the Prussian GuardsInen q.
the previous ceremony ant the
F-enchmen today watched the cere-
mpny witt. grim satisfaction. The
conditions of 1871 were exactly re-
versed Today the disciples Of Bis
mark I in the seats IF the lowiy
while the white r1,-roee staIIte vi
Minerva tire Roman goddess Of WIS
dom. looked on. Overhead on the
frescoei cei-.ng were scenes from
Frances ancient wars.
Three Incidents were emphasized
hr the sfnootnnesa with which the
ceremony was conducted. The FIRST
Of these was the failure IF the Chin
ese delegation to sign. The seconG
was the protest submitted by Cen
eral Jan Christian STnutS. VINO de-
ciared the peace unsalsfact-r-y.. the
third. unknown 10 the general pun
lie. came from the Germans. W hen
the program for the cernetloy was
shown TO the German delegation.
Herr Won Hailnhauscn. Of the Ger
man delegation. went IN Coionei
Henri. the French liasson offlcer.
and protested We cannot admit
TIM the German delegates should en-
ter the ia hy diff rent door tna1
the Entente delegates. nor thai MIL
ita-v hunurs should be withheld lad
we known there would be snch ar
-aaEemenrs before. the deiegate ties
would not have come.
Alter a conference with he French
foreign ministry il was decided. as q
comprnrnise to render military hunors
as the Germans left Otherwise the pro-
gram was not changed.
One of the picturesque features of the
Continued On Page 4ICoiumn s.