Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-04-26
DECIDED ON SMALL DELEG ALTON

DECIDED ON SMALL DELEGATIO
Under tho circumstances rs Count
Won Brockdorit-Rantza,l, foreign min
lister explained to the Associated
Press. the German government con
sldercd it unnecessary to send tho
entire peace dccgation--morc than
100 persons headed by six plenipoto
tiarics-to Versailles merely to re-
ceivc tho draft and return to Berlin
with it and would therefore, send n
samiler delegation and later proceed
to Versailles for tho actual discus
Slons and the signature OF the treaty.
The German government then form
ally inquired through the armistice
commission regarding the program
ana on the basis of the reply seem
ingly determined on the dispatch OF
the smaller delegation.
Meanwhile. however the plans and
program of the council OF four for
discussions with the Germans had
been altered in no small degree ap
parcntly on account of the fact ,hat
it was found physical impossiblity
since the instructions to appear on
April 20 were sent to the German
delegates to have the actual text OF
the proposed treaty ready by that
date. This would ncccssitatc communi
eating the determination Of the allied
and associated governments to Il Ger
tain extent in outline or in Il less
formal shape than the definite text.
EQUALITY OF RANK NECESSARY
For this purpose the presence of
the Observation-Disclosures charged with
the peace negotiations was imperative
quite apart from the point of pres
tlgc that Observation-Disclosures Of the al
lied and associated powers could only
meet with German representatives OF
equal rank and dignity.
Furthermore, it is planned to have
such limited discussion Of the peace
proposals as President Wilson and
his associates arr prepared to admit
notably the modes of payment Of the
sums which have been eXacted as rep
arationS and explanations on any
points in the long complicated drafts
OF the treaty provisions which the
German delegates may seek to begin
with, without awaiting the action OF
the government at Weimar. The next
OF the treaty and the difficult points
as they arise would in the meantime
be communicated to Weimar.
There is little expectation in com
pctent conference circles that it will
be possible to finish the discussions
with the German delegates and have
the treaty signed within week from
the date fixed for the first meeting
Indeed tho completion OF the negotia
tlons within such period was declared
to be a physical impossibility.
PORTSMOUTH DELAY RECALLED
1t may be recalled that the c0nvoca
ton OF the Portsmouth peace confer
cnce was somewhat delayed by q SINH
lar point regarding the competence Of
the credentials Of the Russian dele
gates. Russian officials stated after
president ROoscycltS invitation to
the conference had been acccptcE by
the emperor that delegates were being
sent merely to learn on what basis
Japan was prepared to enter into dis
cusslons and that a decision whether
the negotiations would be continued
on such basis would bcrtakcn at ST.
petersburg and not by the Russian
representatives at Portsmouth.
Japan Immediately announced that
she would not send representatives
except to meet with fully accredited
plenipotentiaries authorized to nego-
tiatc at peace and after a second in
tervicw by the American Ambassador
George Won L. Meyer with the Rus
sian emperor 1t was reluctantly de-.