The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-06-20

a declaration of intention to submit
within month of the signature of
| peace list of those accused OF viola
tons of the laws and customs of war.
| The German reply had denied the
allies right to extradite and try the ex-
kaiser or any other German citizens.
1t declared Germany's willingness for
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 DanzlS
are rejected. DanZig is made Tree
/ city. It's inhabitants will be autono-
nous and do not come under Polish
rule. Clemenceau's covering letter ex-
| plains that the city forms no part or
! the Polish state.
| Poland, however, by the treaty, mas
been given certain economic rights
in Danzig, and the city itself mas
| been severed from Germany because
In no other way was it possible to at
| tain that Stree access to the sea-
which Germany promised to concede
| to Poland.
The German reply said:
| "Danzig, purely German town,
must remain with the German empire
To make it free city and to sur
| render certain of it's rights to Poland
would lead to violent opposition and
| continuous state of war in the East.
| The Germans, however, offered to
make Danzig, as well as KOenigsberg,
free ports.
| Covers Foes Sins.
Like q 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 bitter, singing
! indictment, lest it's former or present
masters, deeming clemency weakness,
| rally once more for an attempt to turn
| defeat into triumph.
HistOry's most momentOus peace
document, now revised beyond revi-
| sion, Is thus accompanied by the most
aggressive, the most fiaying diplomatic
| note on record. 1t is indeed "cOver-
| ing" letter. for it 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 parfiamentaires 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
| lied 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 q subservient Europe.
She taught her subjects the doctrine
| that might was right.
| She armed feveriShly by land and
sea and spread the falsehOod that her
| neighbors were jealous Of her.
She developed widespread system
| of espionage and intrigue all over the
| world.
She kept Europe in ferment by
| threats of violence.
She encouraged Austria to declare
/ war on Serbia at 48 hours notice, fully
aware that the conflict would become
| general.
She conducted the war in savage
| and inhuman manner.
| She violated Belgian neutrality and
! Systematically terrOrized 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 uncivilized peO-
| pie would have recOiled."
| 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
p! for tyranny by resort to war" and her
conduct sis almost unexampled in hui
| man history"
! Then Clemenceau continues:
: saTho allied and associated mowers