Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-09
HUN REFUSAL
TOSICN
HELD LIKELY
Ebert Government May
Reject Treaty to Save
Selves, Belief.

Versailles, Thursday, May S.
(By the Associated Press. The
question whether Germany will
sign the treaty or not is the press
ing one Of the hour. 1t is impossi-
Bile as yet to gain an indication of
the attitude of the German pleni-
potentiaries, but information com
ing from German sources goes to
show it is quite possible the Ebert
Scheidemann government is con-
sidering its fate if it should accept
such a drastic treaty. 1t may
choose to refuse to sign the treaty
and go down in a blaze of patriotic
glory.
According to this information the
greatest shock to the Germans was
given by the formula establishing
the frontier of Poland. giving as it
does. a great part of West Prussia
and a considerable sea coast to
Poland in addition to large coal
fields in Upper Silesia. When the
German delegates left home they
expected to hear rather more mod
crate proposals regarding the Pol
ish frontier and Danzig.
Doubt Ability To Pay.
The delegates also question the
possibility of Germany paying rep
aratioA to the extent laid down by
the treaty and they doubt whether
they should sign clauses which
they are said ostensibly to regard
as impossible of fulfilIment They
object also to the surrender of
their mercantile fleet. arguing that
/ this would force them to pay an
additional indemnity to England in
freight for every ton of raw ma
terial imported, manufactured and
exported under the virtual British
monopoly of ocean tonnage which
/ they assume would soon follow the
elimination of the German mercan-
tile fleet
Due consideration is naturally
given the fact that the declaration
| that Germany would refuse to sign
the peace unless the conditions
were greatly modified in her ia
vor may possibly have been put
out just now with the object of in
huencing the negotiations, and that
it is not necessarily conclusive.
, Hold Refusal Likely.
Experts attached to the inter-al-
! lied conference who have just re-
! turned from Germany where they
endeavored to obtain material for
/ a definite verdict on this subject.
| believe that a refusal by the pres
ent German government is not i'm
| possible. They expect that in this
| case the existing government
would fall Immediately and would
| be followed by an Independent So
cialist government which would
sign any treaty presented without,
! however, any intention to bind it.
self by it's signature or of observ-
| ing the conditions if the opportun-
! ity arose to disregard them.
Notwithstanding the decision
that no oral negotiations should be
permitted. it is expected here that
verbal discussions of some phases
/ of the treaty may take place and
rooms at the Trianon Palace hotel
are being held in readiness for a
possible session of inter-allied and
! German commissions.
More Germans Arrive.
Eight new members of the Ger
man delegation have arrived here
! but as yet they have not commun-
| icated with their colleagues who
arrived prior to the presentation
! of the peace treaty.
| Among the arrivals was Count
| Alfred Won Oberndorff. member
of the German armistice commits
sion He brought credentials as a
minister plenipotentiary at the con-
gress and is expected to take an
important part in the negotiations.