Omaha daily bee., 1919-05-16
HUNS SEEK
TO PARLEY
ON TERMS
OF PEACE
Head Of Delegation Tells His
Colleagues Treaty in Pres
ent Form Could Not
Be Accepted.

Berlin, May l5.-Count Won
Brockdorff- -Rantzau, head of the
German peace delegation. in COM
municating to the other members OF
the delegation the text of the three
notes he sent to Premier Clemen-
ceau, pointed out that. the pea C
treaty in its present form could not
be accepted and could NOT be signed
because it was Impossible to fulfill
its terms.
Dispatches from Versailles re-
porting the counts action add that
he told the German delegation that
it would sign nothing it was not
intended to fulfill. The delegation,
he continued, would endeavor to
improve the treaty and make its
signing possible.
Protest Territorial Changes.
A note of considerable length pre-
sented to the peace council by the
German plenipotentiaries deals with
all the proposed territorial changes
The note does not deny that the
principle of self-determination can
be asserted for several of the chang
es, such as concern Poland and
Schleswig, but does not conced.
that the territories populated by
Germans "can be bartered like
pawns as security for the financial
or economic demands of Germany's
enemies"
In this connection the note pro-
tests strongly regarding the Sarre
valley, and declares it is vain to oo-
ject that the proposed occupation
will be temporary because, it is de.
clared, if Germany is not in a posi-
ton to repurchase the mines viii
gold at the end of Is years, the re.
gion is destined finally to go to
France, even if.the population "pro-
nounces unanimously in favor ot
Germany"
Appeals to British People.
London. May 15.-Philipp Scheid-
emann, the German premier, has
sent through the Berlin correspond
ent of the Daily Herald, the labor
newspaper, an appeal to the British
people to realize "the appalling po-
sition Germany is placed in by the
peace conditions"
Herr Scheidemann in his appeal
says:
"We cannot believe that fellow
human beings, however much under
the influence of wicked war, can
really intend to reduce kindred
civilized people to slavery, for that
is what these conditions mean.
"We Germans call upon you
English not to force us to sign
away our birthright and the peace
of Europe in our hour of weak
ness"
Ebert Demands Negotiations.
Berlin, May 15.-Friedrich Ebert,
the German president, in a state
ment made in the newspaper Vo-
waerts, has reiterated his opposition
to the peace terms submitted by
the entente, declaring them un-
reconcilable with conscience and
reason and insisting that they must
be drastically and fundamentally
corrected. Above all, practical ne
gotiations were necessary, he de-
clared, and these would quickly re-
suit in the attainment of a worthy
peace il return were made to the
IA points.
"As long as one remnant OF hope
remains that reason will triumph
continued President Ebert, I'VE will
not speak our last word, but should
it prove that. this mailed fist peace
is to be imposed upon US we shall
have to make our decisions.
To-day / still hope that the at
tempt will not be made to extort
from the German nation an assent
which would be nothing but lie
born of desperation. We must
keep faith with our countrymen
who are threatened with separa-
ton by foreign violence and be
feadyEto carry out the hardest re-
solve"