The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-02
CAN'T MEETTERMS
sMOre Than German People
Can Bear" RantZau Whines.
Sends Note Outlining German
Counter Proposals.
HE'S AGHAST At DEMANDS
State Department Makes Public
Hun Communication.
Bitterly DenOuRces CedIng OF
Hun Land to Allies.

Washington, June 2.-Execution of
the peace treaty as framed by the YER
sailles conference is declared to be
more than the German people can
bear" by Count Won Brockdorff-
Rantzau, head of the German peace
delegation. in a note to the associated
governments outlining the German
counter proposals.
Count Brockdorff- Rantzau in his
note. the text of which was made pub
lie tonight by the state department,
further asserts:
THE more deeply we penetrate into
the spirit of this treaty. the more con-
WINGED we become of the impossibility
of carrying it out"
Calls 1t victorious Violence
The text of the German note. dated
May 20 and addressed to Premier
Clemenceau, president of the peace
conference, was made public by the
state department as follows:
Mr.. President. l have the honor to
transmit to you herewith the observations
of the German delegation on the draft
treaty of peace. We came to versailles IN
the expectation of receiving a peace pro
pOsal based on the agreed principles we
were firmly resolved to do everything In
our power with u view of fulfilling the
grave obligations which we had under
taken. We hoped for the peace of justice
which had been promised to us. We We're
aghast when we read in documents the de-
lence of our enemies. The more deeply we
penetrate into the spirit of this treaty, the
sibility of carrying it out. The executions
of this treaty are more than the German
people can bear.
Cries Over Lost Lands.
with a view to the re-establishment of
the Polish state we must renOunce indis-
putably German territory, nearly the whole
of the province of West Prussia, which is
preponderantiy German, of Pomerania,
xxh icf, fa 70 fhn q
must let that ancient Jamestown be trans
formed into a free state under a Polish
suzerainty: We must agree that East Prus
STA shall be arnputated from the body of
the state, condemned to a lingering death
and robbed of its northern section, incIud-
must renounce Upper SiIesia for the bene-
fit of Poland and Czecho- Slovakia, altho
it has been in close political connection
with Germany for more than 80 years. is
instinct With German life and forms the
very foundation of industrial life turnout
East Germany.
Preponderantly German circles (Kreise)
must be coded to Belgium without suf-
ficient guarantees that the plehiscite.
which is only TO take place afterwards, will
be independent. The purely German dis
trict of the Saar must be detached from
our empire and the way must be paved
Tor Its subsequent anneXation to France.
altho- we owe her debts in coal only, not
in men.
CONDEMNED to Slave Labor" u
''For fifteen years lihinlsh territory must
the allies have the power to refuse the
restoration of the country: in the interval
the allies can take every measure to sever
the economic and moral links with the
mother country, and finally to misrepre-
sent the wishes of the indigenous popula-
ton.
"Altho the exaction of the cost of war
has been expressly renowned. as yet Ger
many. thus cut in pieces and weakened
must must declare I herself ready in principle. to
pear all the war expenses of her enemies,
which would exceed many times over the
total amount of German state and private
assets. Meanwhile her enemies demand in
excess of the agreed conditions PREPARATION
for damages suffered by their civil popu-
Iatlon and in This connection Germany
to be paid is to be fixed by our enemies
unllGteralIy and to admit of subsequent
liked save the capacity of the German peo-
PIE Tor payment, determined not by their
standard of life but solely by their ca
pacity to meet the demands of their
enemies by their labor The German neo.
pie would thus be condemned to perpetual
Other Harsh" TERMS
I'm spite of the exorbitant demands the
reconstruction of our economic life is rem
o Gered impossible bic: We must surrender
all foreign securities. We are to hand over
10 our enemies our property in all German
of our allies Even oftar IN tb me e0untres
OF peace the enemy states are TO have the
right of confiscating all German property.
lIdueI their countries VIII
be protected from these war measures We
must completely renounce our colonies,
ana not even German missionaries shall
nave the right to follow their calling
therein We must thus renounce the
realization of all our aims in the spheres
OF politics, economics and ideas
IN other spheres also Germanys SOW
erelgnty Is abolished. Her chief WATER
ways are subjected to international ad-
mlnistration; she must construct in her
territory such canals and such railways
as her enemies wish; she must agree to
treaties, the contents of which are un-
known to her. to be concluded by her
enemies with the new -ates on the east
even when they concern. her own function
Inc German people are excluded from the
league OF nations, to which is intrusted all
work OF common interest to the world.
"Own Death Sentence"
THUS must whole people sign a de-
cree Tor ITS own prescription, nay, its
Germany knows that she must make
sacrlflces in order to attain peace. Ger
many knows that she has, by agreement
undertaken to make these sacrifices, and
WI! go in this matter to the utmost limits