The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-07-19
No Essentials Were Yielded By
Versailles Council, and Re-
visions Were Practical
Rather Than Political

WASHINGTON, July 1S.-The oranges
made in tho treaty OF peace AFTER INC
original text was submitted TO ths <s,,,
man delegates at Versailles, VIZ
exceptions, are not Of vital importahec'
Most Of the changes, except those IN
volytng mere phraseology. are OF pFac-
tical rather than political Significance
A fev changes served TO rEakc the treaty
sonevhat more palatablc 10 hermann
but involved no yielding OF eSS'h'ia'S
nv the allied and associated Nations
The only change made in the cC'e'
nan4 NJ the League of Nations aleer pun
1icatton Of the amended text added air
70 thu provisions dealing with miu'HF'
and naval matters. This was done De-
cause of a fear that under some teen
ntcality the sir forces might not W III
Guided.
Changes as to Saar Basin.
Ono Of the important changes IN the
treaty has TO do with the pIeols'u' III
tho Saar territory coded to france arter
tho expiration OF tho prcScrlHec peFloo
Of administration under i commission
apnoInted by the council OF the League
Of Nations. This change follows arti-
Gle so, and IL in paragraph Sc OF the
annex TO section 1 OF the treaty.
In order TO make It clear that the ter
rftory involved was TO revert 20 German
sovereignty in the event the people SO
voted provision Is made that Germany
must make payment for the mines IN
gold and may create prior charge on
her assets. for this purpose. In tbs
event payment II not made within
year, however, tho Rsparalion commits
sion Is authorized to pay the Preach
owners, II necessary. by lQuidating that
part Of tho mines which Is in question
But, even under these conditions. po-
li,ical sovereignty would stin revert 10
Germany.
While there was much complaint
from Poland because OF the decision OF
the peace conference that . plebiscite
should be held in Upper Silesia, the
facts and figures available in Paris show
that a majority OF the Inhabitants ars
indisputably polish. all German school,
textbooks making this assertion. Be
cause Germany continued strongly foi
q plebiscite, a change was made in ART
Gle IS Of the treaty and the annex which
follows II, providing for a vote by tn'
people and giving TO Germany the righ
to receive exports from this tefritor!
for fifteen years II It's people vote TO-
Polish sovereignty The latter eco
nOIllC SbhNN>
troubled the Germans more than tn
probable loss Of territory. paragraph
also was added protecting the rights o
German subjects in regions transrerret
10 Poland.
change to Piacats Danes
change was made in the article pro
yidins for a plcbisclte in Schleswig \
the request Of the Danish government
"a a result Of which Germany's CLAIM
TO a portion Of this disputed province
remains unchallenged. Originally pro
vision was made for threv difte:er
pleoisciteS.
The nrst was to have occurred in ter
ritory Overwhelmingly Danish and Ger
tain 70 revert to Denmark: the secon'
in territory q majority OF whose lnhap
itants are Danish. and the third in
section where Germans predominant
The Danes decided they did not wan
the latter section on account Of its larS'
German population.
Part v, of tho treaty, covering nuii'
tary, naval and air clauses, Is cnaAsee
to provide that thu German Army mus
not exceed 100000 officers ana me'
three months after the coming iH''
force Of the treaty, with additional pro
visions requiring a reduction to 4VV'VV'
officers and men by March 81, 19-o'
Originally the treaty fepuA -
duction to 100000 officers and mel
within two months. This was sho",
10 be too short a period within whlc'
TO effect 10 radical a reduction intern
nj conditions in Germany also weF
taken into account.
Mora Time Tor DiSnaanthng.
Under Notifications. the time "ilnI'
which specified fortified works must D
disrnantled was extended from three .
six months. Originally all fortihcation
specified were TO have been disartne'
and disnantled within three months
Now they must be disarmed within wv
months and dismantl-d within the sue
ceedinE four months.
A change was made In article -4'
under financial clauses (reparat1oh)'
giving To the Reparation Commission
authority to make such exceptions
n may approve TO the general rule ina
n hrst charge shall be mad2 upon al
the assets and revenues OF the German
Emnirs and its constituent states L
nav PREPARATION assessments and al
othey costs arising under the treaty
This change was designed to protec
German credit.
A new provision was inserted in ar