Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-07-03
The Peace Conference.
More Than Five Months Taken
To Formulate Treaty.


The five leading nations, the United
State, Great Britain, France, Italy and
Japan, were represented in the peace
conference at Paris by five delegates
each, while the delegations of other ma
lions and of British dominions were COM
posed of from one to three men,
The representatives of the United
States were President Wilson, Secretary
of State Robert Lansing, Henry White,
formerly American Ambassador at Rome
and Paris; Col. Edward M. House and
Gen. Tasker H. Bliss.
GeorgesClemenceau. Premier of France
vas chairman Of the Peace Conference.
At first Supreme Council of Ten was
organized so as to include two repoesen-
tatives each from Great Britain, France,
the United States, Italy and Japan. Sub
seuuently this council was divided IN two
parts-a Council of Four. composed OF
President Wilson and Premiers Lloyd
George, Clemenceau and Orlando and
Council of Foreign Ministers.
The Conference of the Allied Delega-
tions convened officially on January IL to
draw up the terms to be submitted when
completed to the German delegation.
President Wilson had arrived in France
on December Is and had visited England,
Italy and parts of France.
One of the first acts of the conference
was to send a proposal to all Russian
factions to meet on the Princes Islands
to endeavor to compose the Russian in
ternal situation. but this plan was re-
jected by the Russians. Various factions
which were disputing over territory in
different sections of Europe were direct
ed by the Peace Conference to discon-
tinue their conflicts.
The first step toward the actual draft
ing of the treaty occurred on January "a,
when the conference agreed to the plan
for organization of league of nations,
and committee was appointed to draw
up covenant. BY January 80 the con-
ference had adopted the plan of govern
ing colonies and backward nations thru
manufactures issued to various nations,
subject to the direction and approval of
the league of nations.
The covenant of the league of nations
was completed on February Ia. On the
following day President Wilson left
France for the United States He re-
turned to France, arriving there March
Il. In his absence the Council of Ten
had continued its work despite an at
tempt to assassinate Premier Clemen-
ceau.
A report of the international Labor
Legislation Committee was adopted April
IL. Reparation demands to be made on
Germany were approved April ID, and
the Germans were invited on April l6 to
so send their delegation to Versailles to
receive the treaty.
The Peace Conference next considered
the treaty with Austria. The Italian
delegation insisted upon obtaining control
of the former Austrian city of Fiume,
but on April % President Wilson gave
out statement that Fiume could not be
given to Italy. On the next day Premier
Orlando returned to Rome. and for more
than week thereafter the Italian dele
gates were absent, but returned on May
Z in time to participate in the conference
with the German delegates.
A revised covenant of the league of
nations, intended to conform in respect
to the Monroe Doctrine to objection
raised by America, was adopted by the
Peace Conference on April %. Geneva
was selected as the seat of the league.
Shantung was disposed of on April 80,
when the Council of Three voted to turn
it over to the Japanese on assurances
that it would later be given to the Chin
csc.
The Germans, headed by Count Brock
dorff Rantzau, arrived in Versailles and
presented their credentials to the Allied
delegates on May l.
The peace treaty was presented to the
Germons at Versailles on May Z, the an
niversary of the sinking of the Lustania
and an official summary of the treaty was
made public on that day. 1t also was
announced that the United States and
Great Britain had pledged to aid France
against possible future German aggres-
sion. The manner in which the Germans
received the treaty was described as ill.,
solent. Numerous German leaders de-
clared they would not sign it and week
of mourning was decreed by the German
Government, but the decree was virtually
unheeded
Thereafter the German delegates sub
mitted-various notes to the Council of
Four, asking for concessions or criticizing
the terms proposed in the treaty as sub
mitted to them. On May 16, it was an
nounced that the German treaty would
become effective when ratified by Ger
many and three of the Allied or associa-
ted powers.
The German reply to the first form of
the peace treaty was presented to the
Allied delegates on May %, and this was
followed by several German counterpart
posals.
Meanwhile the Austrian delegates had
arrived at St. German, and on June
the terms of the peace treaty with Aus
tria as drawn by the Allies was submit
ted to them.