The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-28
PEACE TREATY SIGNED BY GERMANS TO-DAY,
FOLLOWED BY AMERICA AND THE ALLIES
Eagerly Awaiting Word.

Eagerly Awaiting Word.
WASHINGTON, June 2S.-The
country waited today eagerly the
flash that the signing of the greatest
peace treaty in history had begun.
First word in the United States
that Premier Clemenceau had de-
clared open the final conference Of
the Paris peace commissioners was
expected to be received over the
state department special wire here.
The signing was scheduled to be-
gin at ten o'clock Washington time,
three o'clock Paris time.
The German delegates will sign
first. 1t was expected the word they
had signed and that Germany had
returned to life as nation in the
eyes of the world would be flashed
before noon Washington time.
American delegates were to use
their personal seals after their
names, as were delegates from other
countries.
The state department perfected ar
rangements early today for handling
the report of the treaty as It comes
over direct wire in state department
cable In state war and navy build
ing.
; According to word received from
Paris when Clemenceau declares the
momentous meeting opened word WV
| be flashed from the Mirror room to
! the little cable room at the state de-
partment.
Fred A. Emery, head of the state
| department's intelligence service ar
ranged to give the flash to press
associations in the press room of Tie
building. After the first flash, ac-
cording to plans, there was to be
running story from the mirror room
at Versailles TO the department
VIII Meet the. Terms.
] VERSAILLES, June 2S.-Foreign
Minister Mueller and Colonial Minis
! ter Bell, German signatories of the
treaty, today made the following ex-
culsiye statement to the United
Press
1--WE are signing without mental
reservation. What we are signing
will be carried out. The German
people will use every means to meet
| the terms.
1--WE believe the entente, will in
| IFS own interests, find 1t necessary
| to change some Of the terms or they
will see the treaty is impossible OF
execution.
j 1--WE believe the entente will not
insist on delivery of the kaiser and
other high officers
"The central government will not
assist in any attack on Poland.
Germany will make every effort
to prove herself worthy to enter the
league of nations"
Invitation Speech.
VERSAILLES, June 28.-Here is
the brief speech with which Premier
Clemenceau today invited the Ger
man delegates to sign the peace
treaty:
"The session is open. The allied
and associated powers on one side,
and the German reich on the other
side. have come to an agreement on
the conditions Of peace.
1.-THE text has been completed,
drafted and the president of the con-
ference has stated in writing that
the text that is about to be signed
now is identical with the two hun
to the German delegation.
"The signatures will be given now
and they amount to a solemn under
taking. faithfully and Loyalty, to exc
cute the conditions embodied in this
treaty Of peace.
az now invite the delegates OF the
German reich to sign the treaty"
D. ,Iar III ~
VERSAILLES, June 2S.-The great
est war in history formally ended TO-
day with the signing OF the peace
treaty
The ceremony took place In the his
toric palace Of Versailles, proceeding
with clock-like regularity.
The German delegates, Foreign Min
lister Mueller and Colonial Minister
Bell we're ushered into the hall or
mirrors at 3:0s o'clock Premier Gle
menceau Immediately opened the meet
ing by assuring the Germans the
treaty text was identical with the one
presented to them.
Mueller was the first to sign, plac-
ing his signature on the document at
3:12. Bell followed him. President
Wilson, the first Of allied delegates
to sign, wrote his name on the treaty
at AHA. Premier Lloyd-George sign
ed two minutes later.
The Chinese refused to sign.
General Smuts, representing South
Africa, signed under protest, issuing
statement setting forth his objec-
tions to the treaty.
The signing was by delegations, In
the following order:
Germans, Americans, British, Gin
cIuding colonials) French, Italians,
Japanese, and smaller nations.
AS the allied peace delegates de-
cended the terrace at the CONCLUSION
of the ceremony, guns boomed and
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