New-York tribune., 1919-06-03
Berlin Cannot Fight, but
Still ''Can Say Mo- to
Peace Treaty's Demands,
Says Brockdorff Rantzau
Attacks Entente Leaders
Calls Attitude of Wilson
and Others Assumption
of Equality to Cod''

PARIS. June (By The AS
sociated Press The reply of the
Allied and associated governments to
the German counter proposals. the
Echo de Paris" declares. will be
handed to Count Won Brockdorff- Rant
Eau or Friday. 1t will constitute a re-
fusal of the German proposals. The
Germans. the paper adds. will be told
they must either accept or refuse the
Allied conditions before June o5
The council Of four discussed to-day
the reply to the German counter
proposals. The couccil will not meet
to-n,orrow. but President Wilson Will
confer with the American experts rep
resenting all the different commits
sions. who are working on the reply.
The attitude of the council appears
to be absolute hostility by NJ. Clemen-
ceau TO any notifications in the terms,
while Premier Lloyd George is under
stood to favor concessions Premier
Orlando is neutral. and President Will
son is declared to be inclined to leave
the decision to the British and French.
LONDON. June . Count Won Brock
dorT Rantzau, asked whether he be-
lieved the German counter proposals
would lead to negotiations. according
70 q Berlin dispatch to the Wireless
Pross. said he had cured himself OF
the habit of believing in such things
The chairman of the German delega-
ton added:
81 VIII do what I think right and
await results. The French press be-
gan the game of asking viii they
sign?' We, on our part, should re-
ply to-day with another question, viii
they rcgotiate?'
Little Prospect of Understanding
"According to an article in the
Temps on Wednesday, our opponents
seem to assume that the German coun-
ter proposals go beyond the limits
within which they want 70 grant us a
discussion. If this article nterprets
the view Of the enemy leaders hardly
see any prospect of an understanding.
Asked whether he considered un-
bridgeablc the gulf between the Allied
demands and the German offers, the
count replied:
This question itself is based on a
controversy of principles on which no
agreement can be reached. 1t is pos
sible to be of different opinion about
the resources Of Germany, but there
exists no agreement about the question
whether this nation is to do penance as
a criminal or to fulfil its obligations
as party to the treaty.
Would Have Kept Fighting
of in October, 1918, an avowal of
it's sins had been laid before the Ger
man nation for its acceptance, instead
OF preliminary treaty regarding the
foundation of peace, it would have CON
tnued to fight. At present Germany
cannot fight any more, but she can still
say no."
After declaring that if he were in
the position of President Wilson, Pre-
mer Clemenceau or Premier Lloyd
George he would be afraid of "assum-
ing an equality to Cod" Count Won
Brockdorff Rantzau continued:
AT the moment when the moral
clock of penal justice is removed from
the peace document it becomes bear
able for Germany to a certain extent
that we, as the vanqushed, must make
sacrifices in power and goods. We
realize this, but we decline to agree
like criminals, to our removal into a
second-class position among the ma
tons"
"There is in the draft an astonish-
ing amount Of mental work which
could be used advantageously if the
stipulations, which were formulated in
the most blunt one -sidcdncss, in favor
of our opponents, were to change to
a point of view which would CORE
spond with a peace of justice. 1t is
true that such a work would possess
many bones Of contention which would
have to be done away with in some
other manner, but the first condition
for the establishment of peace OF
understanding would have been full
filled by it,"