The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-05-26
MAIN PEACE
REPLY BEING
HURRIED UP
Berlin Expects II to be Present
ed Tomorrow
SARRE TERMS ARE EASIER
Germans Openly Vow Intention to
Ignore All Except Immediate
Requirements of Treaty

Berlin, Sunday-Information has
been received from an unimpeachable
source that counter proposals to be
made by Germany to the Peace Con-
ference will declare in favor of mill
tary disarmament, saying Germany
is ready to reduce her forces to three
hundred and fifty thousand within
two months after conclusion OF peace
and to two hundred thousand after
few years.
1t will be declared that despite
internal disorders and necessity for
defending her frontiers, Germany
thus agrees to disarm ahead of all
other powers. 1t is pointed out this
gives adequate proof of Germanys
determination to renounce all mill
taryistic and imperialistic tendencies.
Paris, May 25.-With the exception
of one minor concession, all sugges-
tions and contemporaries by Ger
many for the disposition of the Sarre
Basin have been rejected by the reply
OF the allied and associated powers.
Count Won Brockdorff-Rantzau's ap-
peal for an oral discussion of the
points at issue on this subject was
ignored.
The concession agreed to is that
Germany might create prior charge
upon her assets or revenues for the
payment for the mines in the Sarre
region, IL the plebiscite goes against
France. If, however, the sum agreed
upon Is not paid within year from
the day it is due the Reparation Com
mission Is to effect payment under
instructions from the League OF Ma
tions.
This alteration was made in view of
Germany's declaration that it was i'm
possible for her to accumulate suf-
ficient sum of gold with which to pay
for the mines IN the, fifteen years be-
fore the plebiscite Is taken, since 9TH
er reparations would constitute con-
slant drain. soY NeL
seBerlin, May 24.-It is believed here
that the German reply will be handed
to the Versailles Conference on Tues
day next. ,ea,f,oa f.o1 fsaW' lh
1.-The conference at Spa 3ion Friday
managed, not without difficulty, to
stfaighten out matters which had be-
come tangled by the telegraphic
breakdown between Berlin and Yer
sailles, by the loss of packet OF docu
ments on the way to the German dele
cation, by the efforts of an extreme
section OF the Government and by the
verbosity of the delegates, which had
spun out the original sketch Of the re-
ply to great length, with correspond
ing loss Of clarity.
Frankfort May 25.-If the Ger
mans sign the peace treaty they will
sign with their fingers crossed. They
will sign with mental reservations
They will sign without sincerity. Even
now they are figuring on excuses fol
the nonfulilment of the Allies terms
Germany today has no intention tc
abide by the conditions laid down by
the Allies except in so far as she Is
physically forced TO do so.
He who calculates that Brockdorff
Rantzaus signature will insure Ger
many's compliance with the treaty
stipulations is working on yer,
large margin OF error. Germany does
not reckon her debt to the Allies as {
debt Of honor. She will cheat then
OF every mark she can. The Allies
face the alternative Of maintaining I
forceful collection money agency or o
having bad debt on their hands.
The one thought to be found here Il
this; 1--WE will sign II we have to
but the terms cannot be fulfilled
What these Germans mean is this
1--WE will sign II we cannot get out o
IT, but we do not intend to live up Il
the agreement" Let II be borne il
mind that this is not the attitude o
politicians or propagandists or Of tn
present Government OF Germany. |
Is the attitude OF the German people
those who must pay the war debt L
the Allies II It is ever paid.