The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-08-09
Signing Of the Peace Treaty at
Versailles Brings the World
War to a Close.
Bloody Rloting In Berlin and Hamburg
Strong Indications Of a Military
counter-RevoIution - "Fres
ireland" Agitation increas-
ing In United States.
ev EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

BY EDWARD w. PickARo.
The peace treaty with Germany was
signed Saturday, June %. and the
world war officially came to close
lust Eve years to day after the event
that precipitated the mighty conflict
the assassination Of the Austrian grand
duke at Sarajevo. The ceremony was
performed in the Hall Of Mirrors at
Versailles with a stately dignity be-
fitting the most notable event Of the
kind in all history. After the repre-
sentatives OF the allied and associ-
ated powers had taken their places In
the hall and the privileged spectators
were In their seats, the German dele
gates, Mueller, Leinert and Bell, were
ushered In. NJ Clemenceau, without
making a speech, declared the meet
Ing open and, as president Of the peace
conference, first signed the treaty.
President Wilson next attached hls
name and Premier Lloyd George came
next. One hundred and sixteen other
representatives Of nations opposed to
Germany then signed the document,
and last Of all the German delegates
were called up to attach their names.
The entire ceremony took several
hours.
Gustav Bauer, having succeeded
Scheidemann as premier, urged the
Germans to abide by the vote OF the
national assembly, accept the peace
terms and endeavor to carry them out
and to try to hold the country togeth-
er. At the same time, in fiery words,
he denounced the treaty 'this mockery
OF self-determination. this enslave-
ment Of the German people, this new
menace to the peace Of the world.
His words were echoed by the Hun
nress and the Hun orators, and many
were the open assertions that Ger
many accepted the treaty only under
compulsion, looking on 1t as another
SCRAP Of paper" and awaiting only
the chance to violate 1t and to get re-
venge.
All week the Hun government
sought for someone who would con-
sent to be the goat" and attach his
name to the pact. First Haniel Won
Haimhausen, secretary of the peace
delegation, was selected, but he was
too unimportant to suit the allies, and
20 he declined. Finally DR.. Hermann
Mueller, foreign minister; Herr Lem
ert and Doctor Bell, minister OF col
onies, were named to sign the treaty
and accepted the unthankful task.
promising to be In Versailles by Satur-
day morning.
Il fell to the lot Of Haimhausen
to notify n. Clemenenceau for
mally Of the decision of the govern
ment to accept the treaty, and In the
course Of his note he remarked with
unconscious humor "No act Of vio-
lence can touch, the honor Of the Ger
man people"-as II anything could
touch a thing 50 iilusive. not to say
nonexistent.
II there were such thing as Ger
man honor, the violence Of the Ger
mans themselves would have touched
It twice the other day. First, when
thu crews Of the surrendered war
ships sank them In Scapa Flow, and,
second, when mob took from mu-
scum and burned the captured French
flags Of 1871 which Germany was
pledged to return to France. In these
acts they are accused Of violating
both the armistice and the treaty and
will be called to account. Also, the
allies, or at least the French. will de-
mand reparation for the destruction
Of the war vessels The surrender OF