Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-06-27
NEWS review OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Uncertain Attitude of Germany
Toward the Peace Treaty Up
to Friday, June 20.
SCHE|DEMANN CABINET OUT
Foch Ready for Invasion From Three
Sides-Turls Ask That Their Coun-
try Be Left Intact-Americans
Cross Mexican Border and
Punish the ViIlistas.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD.

1--WE had better sign the treaty and
have done with it. But whether we
sign it or not, the worst is yet to
come; and we refuse to cheer up"
That was apparently the attitude
of the greater part of the German peo-
pie on Friday, June 20, when this re-
view was written. However, at that
time it was impossible to forecast the
action that would be taken by the Ger
man government and the news col
umns will tell whether the treaty was
signed or rejected, by Monday. June
%, at 6 40 p. M. Paris time, when the
time limit given the Germans expired.
Friday moraing came the news that
the Scheidemann cabinet had fallen
and that Gustav NOske, minister of de-
fense, was to become head of the new
government. This was taken to mean
that the treaty would be signed, as
Scheidemann had been the chief op-
ponent of such course. 1t was be-
lieved that the rule of Noske would
amount to a dictatorship. Another
story was that Bernstorff would sue
ceed Brocbdorff-Rantzau as head of
the commission.
Disappointed, dismayed and thor
oughly angered by the final refusal of
the allies to ameliorate to any marked
extent the terms imposed on them, the
Germans ragged impotently against
their fate. Count Won Brockdorff-
Rantzau and his colleagues on the
| peace commission united in advising
| the cabinet to refuse to sign the treaty
| the cabinet to refuse to sign the treaty
In the national assembly at Wei
mar, where the treaty was to be con-
| sidered, the majority socialists, it was
| believed, would vote for signing, and
| it was believed the Catholic center
and Independent socialist parties also
would finally agree to accept the terms
Throughout the former empire
sentiment was diverse. The south
ern states, which would suffer most
from invasion, were in favor of yield
! ing, while the northern provinces. es
| pecially East Prussia, were strongly
| opposed to such course. Naturally
the old pan-Germah element was bit
| terly against the treaty, but that ele
ment no longer rules in Germany.
Meanwhile, the allied nations, TAX
ing no chances, made every prepara
| ton for immediate action in case O
rejection of the treaty. They had Ger
many encircled by ring of guns ant
bayonets and were ready to invade
from three sides, while on the nortl
the guns Of their fleets would enforce
a renewed blockade by sea. Before
the week ended the British grand flee
was on a war footing The immenst
dirigible R-34. which was about t.
start across the Atlantic, was mad,
ready to sail for the Baltic, and he
companion, R-33, set out on cruis
that was to include the Kiel canal.
Land operations. carefully planned
by Marshal Foch and his colleagues
called for swift advance by the Bel
gian and British forces through Essel
and the Ruhr district to the fortres
of 'Minden; by the Americans up tn
valley of the Main to the Bohemian
border, cutting Germany in two; b.
the French to the fortress of Ulm an,
then to Nordlingen.\ outfianking tn
strong Rhoen mountain defenseS.
the same time, according to the plaT
the Czecho-Slovaks would attack fror
the south and the Poles from the cas-
and it is believed the great industria
district of Silesia would thus be occr
pied.
The allied command estimated tn
available German forces at not NOR