Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-07-03
PEACE TREATY IS
SIGNED By ALLIES
AND THE GERMANS
BIG Covenant Is Made Reality at
Versailles in Record Time.
FOES FIRST TO FIX NAMES
President Wilson Is Second, Followed
by CIemenceau, Lloyd George and
Other Envoys-Ceremony Most
impressive in History.

Versailles. June 30-President Will
son and the American delegation COM
pr-.>.. ,''~ning the peace treaty at 3 IA
o'clock Saturday afternoon, Paris time.
1t also was signed by DR.. Hermann
Mueller at 3 10 and Johannes Bell at
3 :13 D. m. for the Germans.
The American delegation signed in
this order: Secretary Lansing, Henry
White, Colonel House and General
Bliss.
The other delegations headed by the
British signed after the American
plenipotentiaries in the order set forth
in the treaty.
Puts Question to Foe.
Premier Clemenceau put the direct
question to the Germans whether they
were willing tc sign and execute 10y
ally all the terms. The other dele
gates did not arise when the Germans
came into the hall.
At 3 "A cannon began to boom, an
nOuncing the completion of the cere-
mony of signing. The proceedings
were formally closed at 40 o'clock.
The protocol was signed by all those
who signed the treaty. The Rhine ar
rangement was signed by the Ger
man, American, Belgian, British and
French plenipotentiaries. All OF the
penipotentiarie having signed the
treaty, M. Clemenceau declared the
session closed.
The peace treaty was deposited on
the table in the Hall Of Mirrors at
2:1O o'clock by William Martin of the
French foreign Office. 1t was inclosed
in stamped leather case.
Premier Clemenceau entered the pal
ace at 2 30 o'clock.
Gen. Jan Christian SHUTS, one of the
delegates representing the Union OF
South Africa, signed the peace treaty
under protest. He objected to certain
territorial settlements and made
lengthy statement. General SHUTS said
that the indemnities stipulated could
not be accepted without grave injuries
to the industrial revival Of Europe.
He declared it would be to the inter-
ests ,of the allied powers to render the
stipulations more tolerable and mod
crate.
Chinese Refuse to Sign.
The Chinese delegation shortly be-
fore the hour set for the signing of
the treaty, reiterated their intention
not to sign.
President Wilson entered the Hall
of Mirrors at 2 80 o'clock. All the
delegates there were seated except the
Chinese
The Germans entered the hall at ex-
actly three o'clock.
A few minutes before three o'clock
the IS enlisted men from the American,
British and French armies entered the
hall amid decorous cheers.
The credentials of DR.. Hermann
Mueller and DR.. Johannes Bell, Ger
man plenipotentiaries sent here to
sign the treaty of peace were APP
proved in the morning
The treaty of peace with Germany
was signed in the historic Hall of Mir
rors under the watchful eyes Of forty
five stalWart American dOughbOys,
French Poilus and British Tommies,
the real ARTISANS Of the peace " which
has been slowly taking definite form
during the long months Of the Paris
conference.
A second change in the program was
introduced as a result of the attitude
taken by the German government,
press and public toward the execution
and binding validity of the treaty.
The German plenipotentiaries. instead
of being regarded from the moment
of signature as representatives of
formally friendly power with which
diplomatic relations had been renewed,
left the hall aftc" the signature sep
arately by the door through which
they entered, not joining the general
procession of delegates to the terrace
of the chateau to watch the playing
of the great fountain CT Versailles.