Evening star., 1919-12-09
TEXT OF SUPREME COUNCILS
NOTES TO GERMAN DELEGATES

The text of the supreme councils
notes dealing with the peace treaty,
which were delivered yesterday to
Baron Won Lersner. head of the Ger
man delegation at Paris, was made
public today by the State Department
1t did not differ from the press sum-
mary cabled from Paris. The notes
were:
Mr. President The supreme coun-
Gil has taken note of the verbal com
munication which you made on De-
Cember in the name of the German
government
The notes Of the 1st and I'D OF
November defined the responsibility OF
the German government as to tne De
lay in ratifica ation Of the treaty. ana
the conclusions thereof stand.
Absence of American Delegates.
The suggestion concerning an alleged
right of Germany to request tin com
pensation Tor the absence OF American
delegations on the commissions until
the ratification of the treaty by the
United StateS) d modification OF the
clauses of the treaty concerning the
delivery of the guilty and the return OF
the prisoners of war has no basis IN
der the terms of the final clauses OF
the treaty. that instruments must enter
into force as soon as Germany and
three OF the priDC4pal diIleU anu dSSc-
Ciated powers have ratified ' -
be in vain for Germany to endeavor to
subordinate the euuy iiI.o
new condition, the presence of Ameri-
can delegates on the commissions
That the German point of view was
accepted on October IA in this respect
is inaccurate.
The statement that MeSSrS. Won
Simson and Won Lersner were invited
on November 90 to oral and written
negotiations relative to the protocol
of November is also inaccurate.
They were simply told that the Ger
man government, advised by written
note, should answer in writing only to
the stipulations formulated in it.
Article 22i OF Treaty.
The supreme council is of the
opinion that article 221 of the peace
treaty trelative to the return of
prisoners of war; is perfectly explicit
and needs no addition. France has
several times declared that she would
free prisoners upon the coming into
force OF the treaty. She has no reason
whatsoever for again repeating it.
The council considers only the OBJ
jections presented to the demand for
compensation for the destruction of
the German fleet At Scapa Flow and
TO the provision of eventual measures
of military coercion formulated by the
allied note of November l.
"A separate treaty which is in
closed herewith is given to the Ger
man note of November "a on Scapa
Flow. Before making their demand
the allied and associated powers eX-
amined this question. They do not
share the apprehensions of the Ger
man government as regards the eco
nomic effect upon the German ports.
They maintain the protocol as it has
been drafted. After having received
a complete report on all floating
docks floating and
dredges demanded by the protocol.
the allied and associated powers will
make known their choice, taking into
account the general economic situa-
tion of German ports. Then. if the
German government can show that
any of the said demands is of ma
ture seriously to prejudice the ca
pacity of Germany to satisfy her
tenauce of inland navigation or to
other vital interests of economic ma
ture of the same kind, the German
government may present claims 10
the principal allied and associated
powers who on their side, will be
ready to examine them in a spirit of
equity after hearing the reparauons
commission
state of Peace.
As regards the last paragraph OF
the protocol of November l. the Su
preme council is OF the opinion that
lne signing OF Ine DrOlOcOl anu uc-
post of ratification will determine the
coming into force of the treaty, and
consequently, the state of peace. Then
the execution of the protocol clauses
conditions of the coming into force of
the peace treaty, will be guaranteed
by the general stipulations of this
treaty, as well as by the ordinary
methods recognized by international
law.
I'VE remind Germany the last time
that until the peace treaty comes into
force a denunciation of the armistice
is sufficient to give the allied armies
full latitude for any military measure
they may deem necessary. We there
fore expect. without delay, the sigma
ture of the protocol and the deposit of
ratifications.
please accept etc,
&c. CLEMENCEAU."
Question of Arbitration.
December 8. 1919. To Baron Won
LerSner: On November p last you
were kind enough to forward me
memorandum in which the German
government refused to satisfy de-
mandS of the allied and associated
powers in their note of November l
for the destruction on June %. 1919.
of the German fleet anchored at Scapa
Flow and proposed to submit this af-
fair to arbitration
The German government to which
the allied and associated point of view
was communicated on June 2S, 1919.
and which on two occasions. June %
and September 3, 1919, made it the
subject of its communications, today
claims that this destruction in no way
constitutes a violation of Germany's
obliga ation-that the destroyed war
ships were not at the time of their
destruction destined to be handed
over to the allies, and. more than that
the destruction should be imputed to
the allied and associated powers
themselves, who, contrary to the pro-
visions of article % of the armistice
had interned the warships not in a
neutral port. but in an enemy port
The allied and associated powers
can only see in the German memo
randum an attempt, difficult to ex-
plain. voluntarily to delay the com
ing into force of the treaty and the
definite establishment of peace.
Note of September 3 Quoted.
In "a =. S:,f, !: Ser 3 last ad-
governments, after having noted the
authentic statements of The admiral
n.. f~Itf tod : n