Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-06-03
SEEK MERCY
Continued from Page One)

O1lxlxA AVxOxVO
Continued from Page One)
mission to the room and stood in SER
occupied the recess of the big fire
place behind NJ. Clemenceau.
The room gave the impression of
an attempt to makes a ring for an i'm
promptu discussion in crowd. rath-
er than of a session for a dignifled
historic mission.
The mishap of a photographer. who
in the midst of DR.. Renner'S speech
fell with crash of shattered glass.
into one Of the museum cases. and the
blunders of the French official trans
lator. who twice during the German
translation of the speech went
astray. causing gasps of mingled hor-
ror and amusement. also impaired
the formal dignity Of the scene. 1t
was the same setting as in the Tri-
anon at Versailles. although on n
reduced scale.
The Japanese and Chinese delega-
ton were the first to arrive in the
stone walled room and take their
places at the table. They were
closely followed by NJ. Clemenceau,
who came early to see that all ar
rangements were in order The 9TH
ers field in rapidly several minutes
before noon. and all the plenipoten-
tiaries were in their places except
President Wilson and Col. House.
Anxious glances were cast at the
empty chairs of these leading pleni-
potentiaries. as the minutes passed
the hour set for the ceremony.
Finally an official was sen. to the tel
ephone to learn if anything had hap
pened. The President appeared at 1912
and took his seat after brief oolloquy
with NJ. Clemenceau. Word was i'm
medately sent to the headquarters of
the -Austrans and they entered one by
one 10 minutes later through a door at
the rear of the hall. The head usher
o, the foreign Office. wearing his silver
cha n. announced the appearance of the
Austrian olenipotentiaries.
| DIR. Renner was calm and assured. as
! if entering his own house. He walked
directly to his seat and motional his
colleagues to their places. The entire
assemhlage. which had risen upon the
eNtry Of the Austrians. seated itself. NJ.
Ciemenceau alone remained standing
and with scarcely an instant's pause
the session started.
| Ears which We're eagerly strained
| to hear from NJ. Clemenccau some
| striking phrases. on the origin of the
war or Austria's guilt and punish
ment We're disappointed. The Tiger
| refrained from any political allusion
| in his speech, he merely outlined the
procedure of the negot 'ations and
| explained that only part OF the
| treaty was ready. He asked that any
replies or observations to such parts
of the treaty as were laid today be-
fore the Austrians he submitted in
writing within Is days.
Nj. Clemenceau spoke in easy con-
versational tone. befitting such rou-
tine remarks. and at the end called
! for t"2,lSi;;i ;ons, which on this occa-
sion We're given in Italian. as we'll as
German and English. The French
official who ATTEMPTED the Leri,,..,
iedltion opened by addressing "the
delegates of the republic of German
| Austria" he was Immediately stop
ped and the diplomatic hIunder in the
! apparent recognition of the Germa mic
| rected.
The translator was now SO nervous
| that presently he was caught telling
! the Austrians that their replies must
| he verbal. instead of written.
| DR.. Karl Renner. head Of the Aus
i trian delegation. rose to reply az tho
| end of the translation. but NJ. ,lem-
| enceau waved him to his seat to
permit NJ. Dutasta. secretary of the
conference. to place before him the
| text of the skeletonized draft of the
| treaty. The Austrian delegate then
rose and read his speech He caused
cconsiderablel surprise by choosing
| French as the medium for his re-
marks.
| NJ. Clemenceau and Marshal Foch,
the latter sitting with the French
; delegation. were obviously pleased
at the choice of the language AS
DR.. Renner proceeded with his dis
| course. revealing a tone of modera
, tion and absence of recrmination or
boasting. the strain which had hung
! over the plenipotentiaries relaxed,
and all settled down to calm and rea :
sonable appreciation of the Austrian
plea.
DIR. Renner read his speech through
to the end without any attempt at
oratorical embellishments. though
| speaking with deep earnesness and
! sincerity.
| The English translator rose as the
Austrian finished and furnished the
version to which President Wilson,
Secretary Lansing and Henry White
! listened closely. The attention of the
assembly wavered as the proceedings
! passed into Italian. This version was
| listened to only by the Italian dele
gates, many of the other representa-
| tives indulging in a subdued discus
sion Of the Austrian plenipotentiaries'
thesis.
Almost before those assembled
realized it the italian translator
I reached the end Of his labors. NJ.
, Clemenceau was on his feet and put
quick question-"Any remarks i?
Then the session is closed" DR.. Rem
ner and his colleagues. accompanied
by the secretaries and Austrian cor
respondents. filed out of one door.