The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-10
WHETHER ENE MY
WILL SIGN TREATY
STILL HANGS FIRE
IMPOSSIBLE YET TO GET INDlCA-
TION OF ATTITUDE OF THE
GERMAN ENJOYS
HITCH ON POLISH STATUS
Experts Believe Present Enemy Gov
ernment May Refuse to Accept Terms
and go Down la Blaze of Glory"
to BE Succeeded by Some New So
cialist Regime Which Will Sign
Without Intending to Keep Faith.

p, Versailles Thursday, May S.-The
\ question whether Germany will sign
: the treaty or not is the pressing one
of the hour 1t is impossible as yet
to gain an indication Of the attitude
of the German plenipotentiaries here,
but information coming from German
sources goes to show it is quite possible
the Ebert -Scheidemann government is
considering its fate if it should accept
such a drastic treaty 1t may choose
to refuse to sign the treaty and go
down in a blaze Of patriotic glory.
According to this information, the
greatest shock to the Germans was
given by the formula establishing the
frontier OF Poland, giving as it does
a great part of West Prussia and
= considerable seacoast to Poland, in
addition TO large coal fields in Upper
Silesia. When the German delegates
left home, they expected to hear rather
more moderate proposals regarding the
Polish frontier and Danzig.
The delegates also question the pos.
SlDluly u NTtiHldllS pay llS ltpeli tillOli
to the extent laid down by the treaty
and they doubt whether they should
sign clauses which they are said os-
tensibly to regard as impossible of full
fillment. They object also to the sur
render Of their entire mercantile fleet,
arguing that this would force them
to pay an additional indemnity to Eng
1nd in freight for every ton of raw
material imported, manufactured and
exported under the virtual BSitsh
monopoly of ocean tonnage which they
! assume would follow the elimination
.Iof the German mercantile fleet.
Due consideration is naturally given
the fact that the declaration that Ger
many would refuse to sign the peace
treaty unless the conditions were
greatly modified in her favor may pos
sibly have been put out just now with
the object of influencing the mrgotia
uons. and that it is not necessarily
conclusive.
Experts attached to the inter allied
conference who have just returned from
Germany, where they endeavored to
obtain material for a definite verdict
on this subject, believe, however, that
to sign is not impossible. They expect
that in this case the existing govern
ment would fall Immediately and would
be succeeded by an Independent social.
ist government which would sign any
treaty presented, without however, any
intention of binding itsolf by it's sig
nature or the terms, if the opportunity
arose to avoid them.
Notwithstanding the decision that no
oral obligations would be permitted,
it is expected here that verbal discus
sionS of some phases Of this treaty may
take place and rooms at the Trianon
Palace Hotel are being held in readi-
ness for a possible discussion of inter
allied and German commission.
Berlin, Wednesday, May 7.-Official
circles learned the probable terms of
peace this morning and a lengthy ses-
sion of the cabinet followed, at which
the action Germany is to take was
discussed. 1t was considered in some
lquarters that Count Won Brockdorff-
|tantzau would refuse to sign the treaty
and resign, but the opinion is general !
that Germany must accept, since she
is helpless.
The resignation of the foreign minis |
ter would only delay a settlement, for if |
the cabinet left office with him, inde- |
pendents, it is believed, would take !
up their positions and accept the terms |