Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-24
Enemy Expects
to Sign on Friday

Continued From Page One
honor of the German people. The
German people, after frightful suf.
fcring in these last years, have no
means of defending themselves by ex-
ternal action.
Yielding to superior force. and
without renounCing in the meantime
its own view of the unhOar of iujus-
tice Of the peace conditions, the gov
ernment of the German republic de
clares that it is ready to accept and
sign the peace conditions imposed
Please accept. Mr.. President. as
surances of my high consideration.
Won HANlEL.
Whether the United States will sign
the Turkish treaty, il such be negoti
ated, and the Bulgarian treaty, is still
undecided and probably will not be
known until shortly before the sigma
turc, although the Americans are par
ticipating in the preIiminarios daily.
International law experts are agreed
that the United States may uropCrly
sign. because of its membership in the
league of nations, although not at war
with those countries. As the signature
Vt the 'nitrd States would require rati e.
ficatiOn by the Senate. with n revived
discussion of the league, il is generally
believed that the United States may
not sign unless public sentiment is ia e
vorablc.
Weimar, Monday June 23.-CRy A.
P.D-Tho German delegation to sign
the peace treaty probably will be
named tonight or tomorrow.
Before the national assembly voted
today to sign tho peace terms uncon =
ditiouaIIy, fiery appeals in opposition
were made hy the Democrats and Con
scrvativcs. nur theY apparently had
little effect When the vote was called
all but fcw members arose to signify
their affirmation Of the government ;
decision to sign. Once the vote was
taken gloom appeared To descend upon
tn" assembly. The most vigorous op-
pon"ntS Of signing We're spcorhIess and
seemed n accept tho inevitable with
resignation.
Many Wild RumOrs
Many wild rumors Of what would
happen when il became known the as
scmbly had voted almost unanimousll
t" accept the terms gained currency
One that appeared TO get most supper
was that all the officers of the German
army would resign if the government
did not refuse to surrender German
leaders. especially Field Marshal vor
Hindcnburg and General Ludeudorf
and defy the Allies to seize the fOrme
Kaiser In military and semmilitar!
circles u strong insistencc has developed
that the former emperor is innocen
and that under no circumstances mus
he be placed on trial except in a neu
trHl court.
I'm some quarters the threat Of tn
sficers to resign was taken most sc
riouSly on the ground that such acti"
might pave the way for a SpartaCa
and communist uprising throughout tn
country.
Opposition to the surrender OF Ger
man war leaders is apparently the poln
TO which the greatest objection is raised
Delegates Disheartened
The delegates to the National Assem-
! blv seem diShpartcncd and crushed. Thi
was emphasized when even those op
posed to signing made their protests il
| an apparently hopeless effort. as 1t
were matter of course rather than
dccD rooted feeling The Assembly lis
tened with apathy I" the announcemon
that il had been decided to sign wlthou
conditions.
The members stood automatiCall
when the question of taking n roc"s
was put and walked from the hall Ink
sheep following their CadCr.
The sitting was suspended for a
hour, after which it was announced tina
the party leaders had agreed to issue
proclamation, stating that the natio
expects the army and navy, whose homo
is chiefly affected by the treaty, to giy
an example of self denial and self sac
rifcc. and co operate in the rebuildir
of the fatherland.
Addressing the Assembly in referenC
to the unconditional signature of IT
peace treaty, Dr. Gustav Bauer. It
premier. said that defeated natiO
was being violated body and soul. to ii
horror of the world.
LET us sign" he continued. but
is our hope to the last breath that th
attempt against our honor may or
day recoil against its authors.
Doctor Bauer added that he assume
the Assembly still authorized the sig
nature Of the treaty. upon which ther
were protests from tho Rightists.
Konstantine Fehrenbach, the pres
dent of the assembly. spoke brief!
saying that he hoped the people woul
unitedly undertake the great burder
imposed and commencing 'the unhapr
fatherland to a mcrciful Cod"
Cats One Month as Nanrant