The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-22

TOO late F:OR
GERMANY To
ENTER DENIAL

| PARIS. May Cit ::s too lat" tor
! Germany to sock to !":ny h"'h IN" AZ
! erosion in tho war ann her r"SH"aSlnil-
| ity for It. This declaration Is mad" ny
! Premier Clerncnccsau- las irrcsldcnt "t IN"
! pcacr conference in ,-"ptytftE' :" 't''
| German note on, r"paraIon IN" tex 81
! which. with the :roply.- was made PUBIC
! last night
! The argument putGortl, By Count Won
| Rrockdocf RantZau WAS that ''"!'nRhE
! did not start 4 w1r.Uf aSrr'SSI"n' that
! tho German p"npI"-w"-" "C;rTln'"d th'F
! fought q d"f"uSIv"' war AMI ina, 'h'
! present German gCH"rnmcnt cannot h'
held responsible" :"r,caults of the former
German government.
| Premier C1cmcncesui takes M inc
! points made by the German Delegation
and declares that the German govern
! roent last November m:;d"ino protest IN
rho charge of, a not" oc SECRETARY or
! state Lansing that G"rr':tny was IN"
ara-resscr.- Tho president points out
| further that Germany made the t'rcnch
government ~ 1871 and the Russian
! government, nf 1917 responsible tor me
acts 1T ~" I;npcr;a!N regimes IN Franc"
and Russia.
tn" German note reads
"A; Versailles May T.. 1919.
! TO His t.xr"llrnry. VI. Cl,m"nccau.
| President Of the rcncH Conferences:
! "Sir-In the draft Of tho peace treaty
! submitted to the German Delegates
ra-t VII. concerning rcparation. BE-
/ gins with Article 2%l. which roads az
: follows:
"'Th" allied and ASSOCIATED govern
rrsntS affirm. ard Germany accepts. the
responsibility OF Germany and her al
u Il
+; a.,c tn which IN" allied and associated
u governments AMI their nations hcvr hc"n
subjected rs 4 consequence" of tho war
imposed ;ipun them Ivy thcN aggression
OF Germany and her allies
| Now thc ohiiSatinn to make rcpara-
| tion has been accepted by Germany by
virtue Of the note from Secretary Of
State Lansing of November 5. 1915. in
,lcpendsntly Of the question II r"Spnn-
, sibili,y for thu war. The German dele
cation cannot admit that there could
arise out Of . responsibility incurred
blythe former German government in re-
gard to the origin Of tho world WIT any
right for tho allied and associated row.
CTS 70 he indemnihsd by Germany fo2
losses suffered during the war.
The representatives, Of tn" allird and
associated states have mo recover. de-
clarcd several times that the German
people should not hr held responsible
for the faults committed by their govern
m.nts. The German people did not VIII
the war. and would not have undertaken
n war OF aggression. They have always
remained convinced that this war WAS
for them 4 defensive war.
Tho German delegates also do not
shar> the view Of n" allied and associ-
at"d governments in regard to the origin
OF tho war. ThcE cannot consider tine
Tie former German government as the
party which WAS solely or chiefly TO
blanc fn- the war. Tho draft Of tn"
treaty Of peace transmitted by you con-
tainS no facts in support OF this view:
no proof on the subject is furnished
therein. The German delegates, there
fore brE YOU TO BE- so good Us TO COM
rrnicatc to them the report Of the COM
mission set up hy the allied govern
nlants for the purpose Of establishing
tho responsibility of the authors Of the
war.
/ Pray ecccpt. Dir. President the es-
: surances OF my high consideration.
: (sgned)
"EEOCKnORF'F-R ASTZtU."
, ClemenceAu's Reply.
Tho text Of tho reply Of Premier Gle
Z m"ncnau IS dated May 90. 1919. and is as
> follows:
Mr.. Chairrnan:-In your note OF Nay
IS You state that Germany while "ac-
repting' in November 1918 tho ohliga-
! ton to make rcpa ration did not under
: stand such an acceptance to moan that
5 her responsibility was involved either
{ for the war or for the acts OF the for
! Nor German government and that II Is
only piSsiibe TO conceive Of such an
= obligation if its origin and cause is che
I responsibility CT the author Of the dam
= >,ll Ia
would never have undertaken a war Of
: aggression.
- yet. in the note from Secretary ot
4 State Lansing Of November 5. 1915
which you approve OF and advise IT
favor Of your contention. II ts stated
shat tho obligation 10 make PREPARATION
arise. out Of Germans aggression BY
land. sea and air.
AS the German government did not
at the time make any protest against
this allegation it thereby recognized II
as we'll founded. Therefore Germany
recognized in 1918 implicitly. but clear"
, ". both the aggression and h"r re-
, sponsibility.
ut "a too late to seek to deny them
today.
1T would be impossible, you state
;, further, that the German people shoulc
:. BE- regarded as the accomplices OF the
faults committed by the former Ger
man government"
. However, Germany has never clalrnec
: and such = declaration would have beer
= contrary to all princi pals OF Information
al law that a modification Of its poilttca
-, regime or a change in the governing
: personalities would be sufficient to ex
= t!ngush an obligation already under
, taken by any nation. She did NOT &C
upon the principle she now contends rol
. either in 1871 rs regards France afte
the proclamation of the republic nor II
. 1917 in regard 20 Russia after the revo
=, luton which abolished the Czar1st re
. giue.
: Finally. you ask that the report o.
tho commission on res3onaihllit be com
nun!cated to you. IN reply we beg t
say that the allied and associated pow
: crs consider the reports or tho com
" missions cot up by the peace coutercrc'
:. as documents Of an internal character
which cannot be transmitted TO you
Accept M Chairman etc.
(SiEncd) VI. Clcmcncoau..