Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-06-25

a declaration of intention to submit
| within a month of the signature Of
peace a list of those accused of viola
tions of the laws and customs Of war
The German reply had denied tbs
allies right to extradite and try the ex
kaiser or any other German citizens
II declared Germany's willingness FOL
an international neutral court TO es'
tablish the fact Of crime, the punish
ment to be left to the national courts
Germany's claims regarding Danzig
are rejected. Danzig is made free
city. Its inhabitants will be aUtono-
nous and do not come under Polish
rule. Clemenceau's covering letter ex'
plains that the city forms no part of
the Polish state.
Poland, however. by the treaty, has
been given certain economic rights"
In Danzig, and the city itself has
been severed from Germany because
In no other way was it possible to at
| tain that free access to the sea"
which Germany promised to cOncede
| to Poland.
The German reply said:
"Danzig, a purely German town,
must remain with the German empire.
To make it a free city and to sur
render certain of its rights to Poland
would lead to violent opposition and a
continuous state Of war in the East"
The Germans, however, offered to
make Danzig. as well as Koenigsberg,
free ports.
Covers Foes Sins.
Like a Judge who, before modifying
sentence. wishes TO impress upon
the prisoner the full weight of his
guilt and pound into his brain the
fact that the leniency Is really unde-
served, Georges Clemenceau, premier
of France. explains the revised treaty
handed TO Germany, lashes the van
pushed empire with a bitter, singing
Indictment, lest its former or present
masters, deeming clemency weakness,
rally once more for an attempt to turn
defeat into triumph.
HlstOry's most momentous peace
document, now revised beyond revi-
sion, is thus accompanied by the most
aggressive, the most flaying diplomatic
note on record. II is indeed a cover
ing" letter, for 1t covers all the sins Of
the foe. all his dark deeds before and
during the war and all the reasons
why he has been condemned and must
suffer for those sins. 1t Is, at the same
time, a sharp rebuke to the TeutOn
peace parliamentaires for utterly fall
ing to understand the position in
which Germany stands today"
This fact the French premier ex-
plains, forces him to open his letter
with "a clear statement of the judg-
ment of the world which has been
formed by practically the whole civil
tied mankind" Then he enumerates,
not under so many headings, but in
smoother and eloquent sequence, the
long series of crimes TO which, he says,
the foe must turn If he seeks the rea-
son for the stern justice of the peace.
Germany, he says, tried for years
before the war to dictate and tyran-
nize over a subservient Europe.
she taught her subjects the doctrine
that might was right.
She armed feverlshly by land and
sea and spread the falsehood that her
nelghbOrs were jealous of her.
She developed a widespread system
of espionage and intrigue all over the
world
She kept Europe In fermcnt by
threats of violence.
She encouraged Austria to declare
war on Serbia at AS hours notice, fully
aware that the conflict would become
general.
She conducted the war in a savage
and inhuman manner.
She violated Belgian neutrality and
systematically terrorlzed that coun-
try's inhabitants.
She was the first TO use poison gas.
She was the first to bomb and shell
defenseless towns.
She struck at her enemies women
and children.
She started the submarine campaign,
with it's piratical challenge to inter
national law"
She drove thousands Of men, wom-
en- and children with brutal savagery
into slavery in foreign lands"
She allowed barbarities to be prac-
ticed against her prisoners of war
from which the most unclvilized peo-
Pile would have rocoiled."
She caused the deaths of 100000
men, and injuries and sufferings to 90
100000 others.
Lust for Tyranny.
She did all this-'to crafty her lust
for tyranny by resort to war" and her
conduct rs almost unexampled in hui
man history"
Then ClemeUceau continues:
1.-The allied and associated powers
believe that they will be false 20 those
who have given their all TO save the
freedom of the world If they consent
to treat war on any other basis than
as crime against humanity and
right"
He SCOTS at the German delegates
charge that their country was tricked
into laying down her arms by set of
principles which was not lived up to.
These principles are lived up to fully
and painstakingly, the French pre-
mier AYERS, and quotes from speeches
by himself. President Wilson and Pre-
miers Lloyd George and Orlando TO
show that the Germans must have
known what to expect. Among 9th
.,rs h. nitnS NJ NNiISnn.s fnmnls