Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-10
EVENTS OF A'WEEK

tFOyS al VeISd1lec, WuACu IoOh PAdSo vi ~"S
Z, was an event for which all the world had been wait
ing, with such patience as it could summon, for many
weeks. Concurrent with the delivery of the treaty came
the publication of an ofncial summary Of its provisions.
and the long list of provisions has been studied, both here
and abroad, with the greatest interest. Consistently with
the principle that the ruling passion is strong in death
the reply Of the head Of the German delegation, in re-
spending to the brief and dignified statement of Premier
Clemenceau, was both verbose and insulting. His atti-
tude lacked dignity, and his remarks created a decidedly
unfavorable impression.
.
The terms of the treaty have been published far and
wide. The general impression seems to be that they are
more drastic than was expected. Doubtless a part Of this
impression is due to the fact that during the long period
necessary for the completion Of so comprehensive a doc
unent the peace commissioners have often been criti-
cized for alleged willingness to be lenient to the Germans,
and so often have statements Of this kind been made
that there has grown up a more or less we'll defined opin-
ion that the treaty would be a sort Of milk-and-water
affair which would permit Germany to emerge from the
war, beaten on the field, it lis true, but winners at the
conference.
A reading of the summary of the treaty certainly
does not bear out this view. Germany admits her full
responsibility for the war. She yields up every foot OF
territory that she held outside of the continent Of Eu-
rope. She restores Frances stolen provinces to her, abb
solutely and without condition. She makes possible
similar restitution to Denmark and Poland, If the people
Of the territories affected desire it. She agrees to cede
or sink all her ships Of war. She is to be permitted an
army barely SUFFICIENT for police purposes, and scarcely
a navy at all. She repays to the Allies their destroyed
commercial shipping, ton for ton and agrees to keep on
building and handing over ships until the debt is paid.
She repays France for the destruction of the latters coal
fields by granting the use of her own coal mines for a
suitable period. She permits the control of the western
Rhine provinces by outside authority, and is required to
disrnantle her forts and move her soldiers until there will
not be q German fort nor a German regiment TOR thirty
miles east OF. the Rhine. Her main natural and artificial
waterways are to be internationalized, and it is prescribed
that on the little island Of Heligoland all the. fortified
tons shall be destroyed by German labor and at German
expense. AS a measure Of temporary indemnity she is
required. to pay two billion marks within two years, and
for the future she signs a blank check. to be filled in
by the Allies for such sum as they think Germany is able
to pay. These are some of the ter,ns Of the Longest and
most important treaty ever written. The terms are Sc
we're. 1t was necessary that they should be severe in or
der to provide a moderate measure of justice, and to
draw the fangs and clip the claws of the bound beast
that has been devastating the world.
In delivering a copy of>the treaty Premier Glenn
senceau made it quite clear just what the procedure was
to be. The Germans were to be given a suitable time
to examine the document and familiarise Themselves
with its contents. Necessary explanations would be
made from time to time when requested in writing. But
there is to be no oral discussion, and It was made plain
that the treaty was submitted, not for conference and
:. W - ~ - possible n changes
=. = . - = -. :. : .''.- cor
may be. the conference will not even consider any varia-
49,. .. $50 = 80. sae'e e'eAs -
49,, = - s"' ~ wy
y w = Ne1u'~ !"
.. 80 - e'u Az : AAns OIL u :
-. :. :. :. - -
-.-...r ~ -. :. -. =. - . = .'
aa..,,n,. ). ....s,... = W. Aese . . ~.