The sun., 1919-05-11
What to Do if Germans Re-
"a
fuse to Sign Main Ques-
tiOn Before Conference.
| ~
EYES ON VERSAILLES
~
Realized Teutons May Seize
Opportunity to Delay
Arrival of Peace.
DISCUSS AUSTRIAN PACT
Boundary Questions Likely to
Cause Snarl Among "a
New Nations. ~
DISCUSS AUSTRIAN PACT
By LAURENCE HILLS.
Sta6 Correspondent Of The Sun.

Copyright, 1919: all rfohts reserved.
PARIS, May 1O.-The German dele
CATION Is preparing to leave Versailles
for Berlin within three days as a
notice to the Allies that the Peace
Treaty Is not acceptable and that they
will not return to Paris unless the
terms are modified. They will in.
form the Peace Conference that all
further communications will be ad-
dressed to the Allies by them from
Berlin.
This information comes from an
excellent source at Versailles. Per-
haps 1t is nothing more than a Ger
man bluff. yet the signs point to q
reaction in Germany against the con-
ditions of peace, and the fact that
all Of the political parties in Ger
many have Joined in denouncing the
terms seems to support the suggestion
that relations are to be broken OFF.
At Versailles the German delegates
were not altogether unanimous on
some points in their attitude toward
the Peace Treaty. The majority take
the view that the terms nre so severe
as not to make their discussion with
the Allies worth while. The espe-
clally distasteful features Of the docu.
ment nre not the parts relating to
the transfer Of territory or to the
elimination of the German military
power but are the economic restric.
tions.
Would Have No Money or FOOD.
Their point of view is expressed in
the following: They would rather
see all Germany occupied by the al
lied forces than to accept economic
slavery" Under occupation the Al
lies would have to feed the German
people, they hold; whereas. IL the
economic clauses in the Peace Treaty
are accepted by Germany, there will
be no money and no food, even their
coal going to France.
Should the Germans depart from
versailles the Allies would wait fif.
teen days, probably. before applying
economic blockade or occupying Ger
many with military forces or using
both powerful weapons as a means of
enfOrci' submission to the will of
civilization. But it is still a question.
as some persons are now pointing
out here, whether the sentiment of
the world would countenance starya.
tion as weapon.
AT the beginning of the negotia.
tions 1t was expected that the Ger.
mans with their customary trick of
using the merciful instincts Of human.
ity as a shield between them and
punishment would make n blufr of
the nature revealed herein. The an.
parent unanimity of opinion at homo
against the terms OF the treaty. and
the outspoken denunclation published
by newspapers of all shades of Doll!
tics. seem to have stiffened the back.
bones of the plenlpotentiarles.
Questions PuEKlinE DeIeEateA
These five questions appear upper
most In Peace Conference circles:
What will the Germans do
will they attempt Fabian
tactics, or seek to bring matters
to an issue quickly by putting the
treaty up to the Weimar Assem-
bly, for a decision as to signingr
= VIII compromise be reached
on the Italian question, the
continued seriousness OF which is
reflected again in the arrival here
OF Thomas Nelson Page. the Amer
lean Ambassador to Rome, and
the report that he will resign
when peace has been signed?
z VIII the delimitation Of
boundaries of CZechoslovakia,
Jugoslavia and Rumania, neces-
sarily part OF the Austrian
treaty, produce new discord. con-
sidering the conglomeration OF
races affected?
d What disposition is to be
made of Constantinople and
the Turkish Empire?
s What will be the attitude Of
America toward the Presi-
dents tentative engosem14 with