South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-26
Final Date on Exchange of
Treaties Awaits Speed of
German Councils.
LEADER REFUTES STATEMENTS
Claims Berlin Officials Are Not
PurpOSeIy Delaying Final
Decision.

Ey ASS tciated Pre- Cs.
PARIS. Dec. z5.-The final date
of the repeatedly postponed eN-
change OF ratihcauons Of the treaty
OF Versailles now depends upon the
speed with which the allied missions
% Germany can verify the German
figures OF available floating dock ton
mage demanded by the allies as
compensation from the sinking OF
The German warships at Scapa Flow.
Information TO this effect was given
out Thursday at the headquarters Of
the German peace delegation.
Baron Won Lernser. head of the
German representatives, said ne
thought this would take at least
two weeks. II not longer, II view OF
\he difficulties Of transportation IN
Germany and the detail involved in
verifying the figures.
Purpose of Trip.
a decided misunderstanding is
reflected IN the Paris press during
the past two days regarding my pro
iectCd trip 10 Berlin, which l sub
sequently abandoned" he said. MY
object was TO hurry, rather than
delay the putting Of the Versailles
treaty into effect. From Monday
night until Wednesday afternoon at
two o'clock, 1 was deprived OF any
communication with my government
by either telegraph or telephone. in
consequence OF which Berlin had
no knowledge Of tho entente note
or Of the verbal communication Civ
en- on this subject BY NJ. Dutasta
(secretary OF the peace conference)
until this morning.
. ct thought that a trip 20 Berlin
and q verbal explanation OF the sit
uation TO the gov ernment would Ia
cilitate matters. The inference by
the French papers that the German
government wanted TO delay the ex-
hange Of ratification Is absolutely
unfounded We want nothing more
than effective restoration of peace.
No Delay Intentions.
Peace means the repatriation OF
our soldiers. prisoners in France.
who are obliged to spend their
Christmas in captivity though hos
tiliues have been suspended for
more than a year.
THE fact that Herr Won Simson
r I
negotiations FOR putting the treaty
into eject proves that we had no in
;ention 10 delay matters"
Regarding the entente note, Ba-
ron Won Lernser said it's tenor sur
prised him as IL seemed so little IN
accordance with the progress of the
negotiations.
The Faris press he said "even
announced our readiness to deliver
over all the harbor material we
could spare without endangering our
economic existence, as compensation
for tho Scapa Flow sinkings and
forecast an early agreement on this
question II We did not get that
tar. 81 was not our fault our Cx-
perts have not been asked TO talk
the matter over since week ago"
Erroneous Reports.
Baron Won Icrnser asserted that
according 20 the verbal communi-
cation OF n. Dutasta at the time OF
fhe delivery OF tho note. the en-
tentc made "A diminution I'm the port
tonnage demanded, conditional upon
vcrihcauon OF Cermany's claim tnat
the entente estimates OF the harbor
material available were erroneous.
Il want 10 say in this connection" ="
ne concluded. that the statements
in the French press that We were
disloyal and gave out wrong figures
on this tonnage is absolutely un-
founded This the investigation
would prove I promised NJ Du-
tasta 20 ask my government 90 give
>an facilities fer such invesu cation
nd have no doubt that they viii
be- accorded az once"