The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-07-11
PEACE TREATY IS
SIGNED BY ALLIES
AND THE GERMANS
Big Covenant Is Made Reality at
Versailles in Record Time.
FOES FIRST TO FIX NAMES
President Wilson Is Second, Followed
by Clemenceau, Lloyd George and
Many other Envoys-Cere-
mony Is Most impress
sive in History.

ftASdlIlcS, JuIc -o,-lIC peace
treaty has been signed.
The world war, which for more
than four years ravaged the greater
part OF Europe, was ended officially
at 3:45 o'clock today, when cannon
doomed, announcing that the last
plenipOtentiary to the conference had
affixed his signature to the peace
treaty.
The delegates, in addition to sign
ing the world peace treaty, also af-
fixed their signature to the Rhine
protocol and the Polish undertaking.
Germans First to Sign.
The meeting-epochal in the worlds
history-ln the Hall of Mirrors In the
Chateau Louis XIV, began at $40
o'clock, and the German delegates,
the first to sign, had affixed their
names at 3:13.
The signing was done within a few
yards Of the spot In the same hall
where William l had himself been
crowned emperor of Germany on Janu-
airy Is, 1871, and where the German
empire was proclaimed.
Wilson Affixes Signature.
The American delegates, headed by
President Wilson, were the second to
sign, the American executive placing
his name below that of DR.. Johannes
Bell, the second Of the German en-
voys.
Then the plenipotentiaries of Great
Britain, its colonies, France, Japan,
and Italy signed, followed by repre-
sentatives of the minor powers In al.
phabetical order, with Belgium in the
lead.
China Refuses to Sign.
Three incidents Of moment married
the signing Of the treaty.
China's delegates did not attend,
declining to sign because they were
not permitted to make reservations.
The plenipotentiaries had written
Premier ~Clemenceau, president Of the
peace conference, that they would not
be present and that they were await
ing instructions from their govern
ment.
SHUTS Enters Protest.
Gen. Jan Christian SHUTS, one Of
the delegates representing the Union
of South Africa, signed under protest.
He objected to certain territorial set
Elements, declaring that the indelnnl-
ties stipulated could not be accepted
without grave injuries to the indus
trial revival of Europe.
He declared 1t would be to the in
terests of the allied and associated
powers to make the stipulations more
tolerable and moderate.
Unknown to the public. but of great
moment, was a protest by the German
delegates. Herr Haniel Won Haimhau-
sen, secretary Of the German delega-
ton, declared to Colonel Henri, French
liason officer, that 1--WE cannot admit
that the German delegates should
enter the hall by a different door than
the entente delegates; nor that mill
tary honors should be withheld. Had
W. known there would be such ar
rangements before the delegates would
not have come"
After a conference 1t was decided as
a compromise to render military hon
ors as the Germans left.
"Solemn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Premier Clemenceau's opening re-
marks were:
1.-The session is open. The allied and
associated powers, on the one side.
and the German commission, on the
other side, have come to an agreement
on the conditions of peace.
"The text has been completed and
drafted and the president Of the con
ference has stated in writing that the
text that Is about to be signed now Is
to be signed now Is identical with the
200 copies that have been delivered to
the German delegation.
"The signatures will be given now,
and they amount to 4 solemn under
taking faithfully and loyalty to exc
cute the conditions embodied by this
treaty of peace.
II now invite the delegates of the
German reich TO sign the treaty"
The credentials of the new German
delegates were approved by the peace
conference authorities during the fore
noon and everything was virtually in
readiness here at an early hour for
the ceremony set for three o'clock i'm
the afternoon. The morning had been
q cloudy one, but shortly before mid
day the clouds began to break and the
indication were that the afternoon of
the momentous ceremony would be
bright and sunny.
Last minute changes were made In
the program to expedite the signing of
the treaty.
The treaty was signed under the
watchful eyes Of stalwart American
d~oughboys. French Poilus and British
Tommies, the real ARTISANS of the
peace" which has been slowly taking
definite form during the long months
OF the Paris conference.
Marshals and generals Of the allies
$50