Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-02
FRIDAY SET AS
DAY FOR ALLIES
TO ANSWER FOE
Reply Expected to Consti-
tute Flat Refusal to
Hun Proposals.

Paris, June 2.-The reply of the
allied and associated governments
to the German counter proposals,
the EchoLd' Paris declares, will be
handed to Count Won Brockdorff-
Rantzau on Friday. 1t will consti-
tute a refusal of the German pro-
posals. The Germans, the news
paper adds, will be told that they
must either accept or refuse the al
lied conditions before June 25.
London, June Count Won
Brockdorff-Rantz when asked by
a representative of the European
press bureau whether he believed
the German counter proposals
would lead to negotiations, accord
ing to a Berlin dispatch to tns
Wireless Press. said he had cured
himself of the habit of believing in
such things. The chairman of the
German delegation added:
81 will do what I think right and
await results. The French press be-
gan the game of asking will they
sign?' We on our part should reply
with another question, will they
negotiate%
According to an article in the
Temps on Wednesday. our oppon-
ents seem to assume that the Ger
man counter proposals go beyond
the limits within which they wish
to grant us a discussion. IL this
article interprets the view of the
enemy leaders l hardly see any
prospect of an understanding"
@MOre Than They Ca Bear"
Washington, D. c., June 2
Germany, although Eealtzipg that
she must make sacrifices 10 Obtain
peace, is convinced that the execu-
ton of the peace treaty as drawn
"are more than the German people
can bear"
Count Won Brockdorff-R -Rantzau,
head of the German peace delega-
tion, thus sums w the attitude of
the German nal towards the
proposed treaty of peace in a note
to the allied and associated pow
ers, outlining certain German
counter proposals. The German
note. delivered to Premier Clemen-
ceau, president of the. peace con-
ference. last Thursday, was made
public last night by the state de-
partmept.
Don't Refuse to Sign.
The German delegation nowhere
in its note asserts that it will re-
fuse to sign the present treaty, but
declares on behalf of the German
nation that .''even in her need, JUS
tice for her is too sacred a thing
to allow her to stoop to achieve
conditions which she cannot un-
dertake to carry out"
Exclusion of Germany from the
league of nations, the note asserts,
means that in signing the treaty
Germany would be executing a
decree for it's own prescription
nay. it's own death sentence"
The German people. the note
says, have been disappointed in
their hope for a peace of justice
which has been promised" and
stand "aghast" at the demands
made upon them by the victorious
violence of our enemies"
Reduce War Forces.
Outlining its counter proposals,
the German delegation agrees to
vi oCl al LIZ anu
navy on condition that Germany
be admitted Immediately to the
league of nations; to renounce
sovereign rights in AL
and Posen. but as
to all other territories which Ger
many is called upon to give up the
of self-determination, ap-
plicable at once, is asked; to sub
ject all German colonies to admin
Istration by the league of nations,
but under German mandatory, and |
to make the indemnity payments
as required, but in amounts that |
will burden the German taxpayers
no more heavily than the taxpayer |
Of the most heavily burdeped |
among those represented on the |
commission.
The note declares Germany is |
willing TO pool her entire mer- !
chant marine with that of the as
sociated powers. Neutral partici- |
patton in the inquiry as TO respon- |
sibility for the war is asked.