The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-09

place equals. That represents the
range of the Germans emotions in their
first appearance at Versailles since 1871.
Versailles, May 9.-The scene at
Wednesdays session of peace congress
when the terms of the treaty were
presented to the German delegates was
an impressive one, and the function
was not without its tense moments.
Indeed the entire half hour which it
took Count Won Brockdorff- RantZau
to deliver his reply to Premier Gle
menceau was period of tenSeneSS for
President Wilson, Premiers Clemen-
ceau and Lloyd George. and in fact
for virtually everyone present.
The. speech was translated sentence
by sentence by the German interpre-
tiers who did not fail to bring out with
full emphasis every sharp phrase in
it, and three allied statesmen put their
heads together in evident anger at
more than one of the German spokes-
mans cutting utterances, as if they
were celebrating upon ACCESSIBILITY of
an immediate answer.
Made No Rctort.
The program was unaltered, how
ever, and when the German plenipo-
tentiaries had finished, Premier Gle
menceau arose and put the customary
phrase: Has anyone further obser-
vations to make?" and, when there
was no response, continued:
Il then declare the session closed"
The allied triumvirate remained for
a half hour discussion of the new sit
uation after the German delegates had
left.
The scene within the hall during
the ceremony had none of the pomp
and glitter of earlier peace confer
ences-no display of court and mill
tary uniforms, such as marked the
congresses at Berlin and Vienna, no
theatrical ceremony. 1t seemed to
gain in impressiveness, however, by
these very circumstances.
A Real World Congress.
At the head of the table the strik-
ing faces of Premier Clemenceau and
Lloyd George and President Wilson
sitting with the French delegation at
the head of .one of the side tables.
was another conspicuous figure. The
bearded faces of the Serbian states
man. NJ. Pachitch, and the Greek pre-
mier, NJ. Nenizelos, as well as the ia
miliar head of Ignace Jan Paderewsli,
also stood out from the mass of dele-
gates. The impressive faces of the
japanese representative, the Oriental
lineaments of the Chinese, the brown
countenances of the Arabs, from He'd
JAZZ. and the presence even of the two
delegates from Liberia and Haiti gave
evidence that this was really A world
congress. The Germans, who entered
(
of Victors, bore themselves without a
trace of nervousness and acted as if
II they were taking part in the delibera
\ lions on equal terms with their ad-
versa ies
Large Crowd of Officials.
The ceremony which attracted to
the hall crowd of correspond ents and
officials. who began arriving at an
early hour, started at 2:20 o'clock
H when servants brought in huge arm
j fuls of the printed conditions of peace
/ and distributed them. one copy to each
n delegation around the hollow rectan-
gle The Germans only were except
ed, their copy being delivered to them
at 3:17 o'clock during the translation
of Premier Clemenceau's speech.
At 2:25 Premier Clemenceau and
Stephen Pichon, French foreign min
lister, entered for a final survey of the
H arrangements and then left to await
II the arrival of President Wilson. Sec
rotary of State Lansing also appeared
for an instant at 2:30 o'clock. The
I minor delegates now were streaming
into the room and virtually all were
N assembled in their places when al
2:55 o'clock President Wilson. accom-
panied by other American delegates
and Premiers C1emenceau and Lloyd
George entered together and moved
informally to their places at the head
of the table Premier Orlando and
Foreign Minister Sonnino of Italy fol-
walked over to shake hands with
President Wilson and Premier Gle
y menceau before seeking their places.
While the assemblage was seating
itself, Premier Clemenceau and Presi-
dent Wilson engaged in an animated
| conversation. Premier Lloyd George
and Arthur ]. Balfour, British foreign
secretary, also INDUCED in a chat
4 Premier Paderewski during this inter
Jude made a belated appearance.
II &c
After a five minute wait, Colone
Henry, the French liaison officer. ap-
H peared in the chamber heralding the
approach of the German delegation
II The Germans entered the door an in
slant later preceded by a functonary
of the French government wearing
the Glittering chain of his office who
n announced in a loud voice:
H 'Messieurs, the German delegates
There was some little confusion
H among the Germans while they were
\ finding their proper places. Count
n Won Brockdorff- Rantzau, who entered
\ gloves in hand. took the center chair
n with his five colleagues and Director
j Won Stockhammer of the foreign of
1 flee thanking him on either hand. Five
German secretaries and their inter
prefers took their places at tables in
the rear. C1emenceau, as president OF
the congress, then arose and declared
| the session opened. He started immed-
upon MS opening speech, pauS-
ing to permit this to be translated into
English and German by French inter
prefers. The translat on into the Ger
man was decidedly faulty and haIting
The premier then addressed the Ger
| mans again to explain the conditions
4 of the negotiations telling them there
would be no oral discussion permitted
and they must submit their observa
tions in writing within Is days The
premier then read the headings of the
tres ~ ms iC tho
4 the Germans with a few DAYS NIGH
\ be ready to commence the discussion
\ of certain sections of the treaty.
II German Requests Floor