The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-20
German Delegation Has Final
Instructions and Ready to
Make Report to
Entente.
NO CHANGE IN TERMS
Allies Show No indication Of Soften
ing in Slightest Degree and
Expect Final Answer
Soon.

[By Fred S. Ferguson, United fress
Staff Correspondent
PARIS, May 20-The German peace
delegation has received it's final In
structions regarding the treaty. 1t was
believed today.
Foreign Minister Brockd brilliant
Eau returned to Versailles from spa
yesterday with definite policy, &C
cording to reliable information. Just
what transpired at the Spa confer
ence, is, of course, mystery. IL
seemed certain. however, that the
Germans viii do one of three things
sign with as little fuss as possible;
sign after some of the present dele
gates have resigned to save their
faces; or refuse to sign at all. the
general opinion appears to be that
Erockdorff-Rantzau was told to sign.
Most of the allied delegates are now
teginning to doubt that the German
treaty will be signed before the first
of june Some even believe 1t is pos
sible the ceremony may not take place
before the middle OF nez-t month.
Brockdorff- -RantZau is expected to
hand In voluminous counter-proposals
Thursday, at the expiration OF the
time limit for such action. In that
case the allies would take all the time
necessary to refer the communication
to technical commissions and sub
commissions, thus consuming week
and perhaps two. Then another time
limit would be set for the Germans
final answer, probably week. Thus
the optimists say, peace with Ger
h4 Cio hafWapn
fifth and fifteeth.
In the face of the circumstances in
which the Germans must accept the
terms or place their necks in the
moose of an economic blockade, ap-
pear violent objections to the treaty,
voiced by President Ebert, Chan
cellor Scheidemann and the German
press. which may act as boomerang
The allies do not show any indica-
tion of softening the terms in the
slightest degree. Brockdorff-Rantz
has not attained the slightest adyan-
tage in any of the objections he has
raised to the treaty. According to
authoritative information the reply to
the Germans objections to the econo-
mic clauses of the treaty-expected
to be published today-will point out
that while it is true Germany has
developed from an agrarian into an
industrial country, her industrial
products can be exchanged for agri-
cultural products of other countries.
Furthermore Germany was expected
tc be told that the loss of several mil
lion population through severance
OF some of her territories will reduce
the number of people she has to
worry about feeding. AS to German
seafaring folks being without employ
ment, as a result of the allies seizing
the German mercantile marine the
reply was expected to show that Ger
man seamen are no worse off than
those Of allied countries who have
been thrown out of employment by
Germany's destruction of merchant
ships.
Summed up the entire reply was ex-
pected to be to the effect that all ma
tions are facing the necessity Of read
justing industries as result of war
brought on by Germany.
Hence Germany is not being asked
to do more than meet conditions
which size herself has brought on.
In addition to the blockade meas
ures, the allies now have before them
Marshal Foch's plans for the military
program that will be undertaken in
the event the Germans refuse to sign.
Premier Orlando was Ill and un.
able to attend yesterdays meeting
of the big four. but 1t was understood
the Italian situation was unchanged
Fiume now is practically a dead
issue, as the Italians are said to have
agreed to it's becoming free city.
Discussion now centers about Istria