The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-25
CLOSING ACT AT
WEIMAR LACKS
HEROIC TOUCH
End of Titanic Drama Is
Disappointing and
Untheatrical.
ASSEMBLY IN A DAZE
Not One Great Speech Appro-
PIRATE of Occasion Is Written
Into History.
IN A DAZE
BY KARL II. Won WIEGAND.
Stag Correspondent OF The suS.

COPYRIGHT. 1919: all rights reserved.
WEIMAR, June 90 (delayed) The
world war is over; the greatest
tragedy of the ages was ended on THE
Sabbath day in the Grand Ducal
Theatre and Opera House of historic
Weimar when, sitting on the stage of
the blue, white and gold theatre, the
new German "signing Government"
headed by the professional union
labor secretary, Gustav Bauer. had a
German pen placed In Its hand with
which TO append Germany's signature
to the Versailles document by the Ma
tional Assembly.
The vote, which stood 237 for the
acceptance of the terms of the Allies
to 13S against 1t, five not voting, re-
dected the war weariness OF ex.
bausted Germany, the yearning for
peace, the recognition Of defeat and
the unacceptable and inevitable end.
Thirteen minutes later the Assem-
bly,, by vote Of 236 to 50, expressed
Its confidence in the Government
which courageously had assumed the
responsibility, courting certain un-
popularity, Of placing Its name to the
treaty. THE National Assembly Is
In agreement with the Government in
signing the peace treaty" With these
words the curtain was rung down on
the world war as a spectacle.
Closing Scene Disappointing.
The closing stage in the last act of
the titanic drama in many respects
was disappointing, undramatic and
not even theatrical. After her re-
markable fight and after her people
had endured untold suffering, Ger
many submitted without herolcs.
There were grave faces and eyes that
expressed suffering. but the majority
Of those present reflected little reali-
zation of what the occasion meant for
Germany.
Six speakers, Bauer. Groeber,
Hasse, Schiller, Posadowski and Kahl,
representing the six parties in the
Assembly, three for signing the treaty
and three against, addressed the AS
sembly, but not a single great speech
appropriate to the occasion was writ
ten into history, not note touched
the heartstrings or awakened the
emotions of the Assembly or Of the
crowded galleries.
Instead some Of the speakers de-
voted themselves to party politics.
Scoring the other parties, "Our party"
and 1--WE told you so" were favorite
themes. Bauer alone made an I'm
preston by the directness and sim
plicity of his speech. During the Pre-
mier's speech there was something
like solemnity in the air and the ses-
sion closed at 4 :25 o'clock. Immedl-
ately afterward Herman Mueller, the
new Foreign Minister, sent tele-
gram to Counsellor Haniel Won Hahn
hansen at Versailles instructing him
to apprise the Allies that Germany
would sign the treaty.
I met former Ambassador Bern
storff on his way to the Assembly.
"Golng home Thursday" he remarked.
Have you heard the news that the
German fleet has sunk itself2 Too
bad it could not have occurred prior
to November IL"
Theatre Crowded to Roof.
This news spread quickly in the AS
sembly, but 1t seemed to cause no
excitement and was not referred to In
the proceedings. When President
Fehrenbach few minutes after noon
rang the bell, calling the Assembly
to order, the theatre was crowded to
the roof. 1t was the first time that
the populace had shown the slightest
interest In the proceedings. There
were many ladies in the boxes and
throughout the galleries.
The new Cabinet sat at the Govern
ment desk on the stage to the right
Of the presiding officer and in the
place Of Scheidemann was the new
Chancellor or Premier, a somewhat
elongated edition of President Ebert.
Scheidemann left Weimar this morn
Ing, not wishing to be present, and
President Ebert and Count Won Brock
dorff- -Rantzau also preferred to be