The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-07
Treaty Handed Germans
Result of Four Months
Work By Allied Enjoys
CBy Associated Press)

PARIS, May 7-Thei peace congress
met at 3:15 o'clock this afternoon to
hand the peace treaty to the German
delegates. The ceremony, as arrang-
ed was brief and simple, and was not
scheduled to last more than twenty
minutes. Georges Clemenceau, pre-
m1er of France and president of the
peace conference, as presiding officer,
opened the session. An opportunity
then was given Count Won Brockdorff-
Rantzau, German foreign minister and
head Of the delegation, to reply.
The German delegates to the peace
conference declare that they will sign
the peace treaty but that Germany will
not pay an indemnity.
In the discussion of peace terms by
Germany through both her official and
unofficial spokesmen she has invari-
ably drawn a distinction between re-
paration and indemnity, constituting the
latter in effect as punitive damages.
The terms admittedly are hard for
Germany, but 1t is asserted that there
is only one road for her to follow
If she is to obtain what her spokes-
men have so frequently declared she
so ardently desires-the return of
peace and the chance to rehabilitate
herself economically.
Premier Orlando and Foreign Min
lister Sonnino, the Italian delegates,
arrived here from Rome shortly after
10 o'clock this morning.
The first meeting of the historic
congress of Versailles was on the
fourth anniversary of the sinking of
the Lusitania. Germany challenged
civilization by torpedoing the Cunard
liner without warning killing 1,154 CIV
ilians. Today she learns the price she
must pay in finances, territory and
lost national prestige. Her penalty in
blood already mas been exacted.
The treaty handed to the Germans
today at Versailles is the result of the
work of the representatives of the al
lied and associated powers arrayed
against Germany who convened offic-
tally on January 18, less than four
months ago. The time between the
armistice, Nov. II and January 18,
was occupied in preparing claims and
reports, in the selection of delegates
and in their travel to Paris.
President Wilson and the American
delegates sailed from New York on
Dec. 4, 1918, and when the president
set foot at Brest on Dec. 13, he was
the first American president to visit
Europe while in office. The inter-
vening month before the opening of
the conference was spent by the pres
ident in becoming acquainted with al
lied statesmen and in visiting Eng
land, Italy and parts of France.
The first act of the peace confer
ence at its meeting on Jan. 1S was to
elect Georges Clemenceau, premier of
France, as chairman. On January 81,
the conference adopted the proposal
that all Russian factions meet on the
Princess Islands to discuss the Rus
! sian situation. Nothing ever came of
the proposal. Three days later the
conference ordered fighting over dis
puted territory to cease.
League Plan Appeared.
The plan for a league OF nations was
concurred in by the conference on
January "a and a committee or coun.
Gil of ten which included two repre-
sentatives from Great Britain, France,
Italy, Japan and the United States
then turned to the form of the future
government of territory freed from
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