The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-14
GERMANS ASK ORAL
DEFENCE OF ALLIES


this connection that the Italian pa
pers, with only few exceptions, have
Indirectly attacked the treaty on some
Of these grounds.
The exchanges on Saturday revealed
ono fact Of great Importance to the
Germans, namely, that they can use
! the publicity weapon for what they
can get from IT, The original idea was
TO enforce secrecy in regard to these
exchanges; Premier Clemenceau be-
lieyed that the Germans could be com
PEELED to adhere to this, but the imme-
diate publication of the first exchanges
shows that this plan has failed. TAX
ing advantage of this the Germans
probably will prepare many notes to
be scattered broadcast over the world.
Germans Find Weak Points.
The German plan for = League OF
Nations presumably is the one that
/ already has been published; II so, II
| has been discussed by the league COM
mittee. who saw nothing in 1t worthy
of incorporation in the covenant, the
principal feature being that 1t would
make all The Hague nations MEM
bers.
Even in allied circles there are many
who regard the incorporation In the
| treaty as making the latter struc-
, turally weak. For this plan President
| Wilson obtained the approval OF Pre-
mier Lloyd George and Premier Glenn
enceau by yielding other points al
| though both OF them were resoluteiy
! opposed to it for a time.
This point was brought out by the
Journal in its comments on the first
exchanges, in which 1t says:
| without waiting, the enemy com
menced his attack and already has
discovered the weak point OF thu
treaty. Many times we have pointed
! out that an error was committed when
the League of Nations was made the
foundation Of the edifice OF which It
should have been the crown. The
treaty now rests on the league, TO
which the vanquished nation Is not
party; Won Brockdorff- Rantzau points
| this out as a contradiction. Can 1t
be removed? And under what circum-
| stances? One cannot deny that II ex-
lists. The argument may go on until
the Allies stop It, but President Will
son must go nome anu ne cannot let
II go on eternally."
The Figaro insists that the treaty is
thoroughly in accord with the Wilson
principles, but It admits the difficulty
of its execution, asserting that the only
guarantee for this Is the Franco Brit
ish- American alliance.
Indications are that every German
note will receive the same firm re-
Spouse as the first lot, the Allies re-
fusing all discussion and merely stat
ing whether the German suggestions
for changes are approved or disap-
proved. The British are showing eN
treme irritation against Won Brock
dorff- Rantzau and would like to see
him quit.
| The latest information from Ger
many shows that the agitation against
the treaty Is growing more violent,
| even to the advocacy Of armed resist
ance. The Allies are prepared for this,
Germans will sign the document be-
cause Of their belief that 1t cannot be
executed. The departure OF two Ger
man delegates yesterday is not re-
garded as working against this op!n-
ion.
The developments in Berlin indicate
that some Of the delegates may be re-
placed; possibly the entire Government
may resign in order to place the re-
sponsibility for signing the treaty on
the Socialists.