Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-17


This will extend the time limita-
ton to Monday. June %, If Ger
1uany's reply is yes, the treaty will
be Immediately signed, if Germany
declines to accede to the demands
the armistice will be automatically
terminated and the allied armed
forces will take whatever steps they
deem requisite to the occasion.
The revised treaty contained
nterlineations in red ink. where
charges had been made in it. 1t
had been impossible to reprint the
treaty in time for its presentation.
Germany Castigated.
The covering note of Premier
Clemenceau severely castigates Ger
many for protesting against the
treaty on the ground that the treaty
conflicts with the terms of the armi-
stice. M. Clemenceau says Germany
tails to understand the position she
occupies today in the estimation of
the world for being responsible for
war which was "the greatest crime
against humanity and the freedom
of the people that any nation. call
ing itself civilized, has ever
consciously committed"
Without ostentation Paul Du-
tasta. general secretary of the peace
conference, at $40 o'clock Monday
evening, placed the revised draft OF
the treaty and the note in the hands
Of German Legation Secretary
Simon and Baron Won Loersner
Herr Simon protested against the
short time given Germany to make
known her intentions.
M. Dutasta arrived in Versailles
at $40 o'clock, carrying the momen-
tous documents in two parcels
wrapped in prosaic brown paper, and
was conducted to the reading room
of the Hotel Reservoirs.
Ready to Receive Pact.
Here the party was grouped alorg
one side of the room. In front OF
M. Dutasta, was a large marble
topped table, upon which the docu-
ments were placed in two piles. Tie
Germans took their place at the
other side of the table.
At 6:49 o'clock Herr Simon infor-
mally reached across the table and
took the documents and handed
them to Baron Won Loersner, this
actually constituting the formal re-
ceipt of the treaty and the ultima
tum. A receipt from the Germans
for the documents was required.
The Germans then returned to
their apartment in the hotel, Won
Loersner carrying the documents
under his arm in a green portfolio
Later Count Won Brockdorff-Rant
Eau boarded a train for Weimar,
taking the papers with him.
What M. Clemenceau Says.
The covering letter is from NJ
Clemenceau, president of the peace
conference, 20 Count Won Brock
dorff-Rantzau, president of the Ger
nlan delegation. In this letter NJ.
Clemenceau says:
"The allied and associated powers
have given the most earnest con-
sideration to the observation of the
German delegates on the draJt
treaty of peace. The reply protests
against the peace on the ground that
it conflicts with the terms upon
which the armistice of November
II. 1918, was signed and that it is
peace of violence and not peace
of justice. The protest of the Ger
man delegation shows that they
fail to understand the position in
which Germany stands today. They
seem to think that Germany has
only to make sacrifices in order to
attain peace as if this were but
the end of some mere struggle for
territory and power. The allied and
associate powers, therefore feel it
necessary to begin their reply by
clear scheme of the judgment OF
tic world which has been forged by
practically the whole of civilized
mankind.
in view of the allied and as.
sociated powers, the war which
began August |, 1914, was the great.
est crime against humanity and
freedom of the people that ar.v
nation calling itself civilized has
ever conscientiously committed. For
many years the rulers of Germany,
true to the Prussian tradition, strovc
for a position of dominance in
Europe. They were not satisfied
with that growing prosperity and
influence to which Germany was
entitled. and which all other nations
were willing TO accord her; they re-
qured that they should be able to
dictate and tyrannize over a sub