The sun., 1919-05-12
Ministers, Dazed at Extent
of Terms, Hold Hurried
Meeting.
RUSSIAN ALLIANCE URGED
Treaty Terms Overwhelm Ma
tion-NOne Can Predict
What Will Happen.
BY KARL II. Won wIEGAyD.
STAY Correspondent Of The Sun.


Copyright, 1919; all rights reserved.
BERLIN, May 10 (delayeD Ger
many to-day is in a state of mental
catalepsy as the first effect of the
peace terms. The treaty admittedly
Is crushing blow, far severer than
even the most confirmed pessimist had
anticipated. Until the peace treaty
was received a large part Of the pub
lie as we'll as numerous officials were
looking at peace through the Wilson
mirror" as they conceived it. and for
the moment something akin to paral-
ysis has set in. There is the rigidity
OF absolute CONSERVATION, it might
almost be horror, as the Versailles
operating table and the full extent of
the capital operation to which Ger
many is expected to submit Is re-
vealed in an unexpected light.
Wilhelmstrasse and Behrestrasse,
where the peace bureau Is situated.
were the first to show signs of re-
turning consciousness. Officials there
had expected Knockout blow, but up
to noon Of Thursday even they were
dazed, and 1t was plainly evident that
their minds were not functlonlng nor
mally. Every Government Office pre-.
sented a picture of mingled despair,
Indignation, resentment, fury, hope
lessncss, bewllderment, resignation.
Another "scrap OF Paper"
Unacceptable" was the refrain of
their song and the keynote "but what
can we do?" However, coming imme-
diately MS second thoughts were will
sons principles and his principles nc
ceptcd by us and by the Allies as a
basis for peace have been turned into
a scrap of paper,
Hitherto Germany was supposed
to be the only country which ignored
promises and violated treaties" said
Count Won Bernstorff, dismissed Am
Dassador to the United States. THE
armistice was provisional agreement
accepted as basis of peace and an
outline for the peace treaty, but the
latter Is unrecognizable rs having any
relation to the terms of the armistice.
That's all have to say at present"
Won Bernstorff's face was n man
or resignation and despair.
One thing for which we have the
Allies to thank" he added, "ls that tho
conditions are such that we need fear
nothing worse II we reject them. We
have the satisfaction Of knowing that
nothing worse can happen"
Minister Victor Naumann. who
showed the effects of having been on
duty interruptedly for tw enty-four
hours, declared that the terms "laugh
to scorn and are an insult TO pre-
fences TO make a just peace"
Sees Industrial AnnihiIation.
The treaty condemns more than
100000 German people to for.
eign domination" he said. "Its peace
''Ni' A'N"h tfDuOH1ltHl AnU
Industrial annihilation for us, and II
we must die we'll die with honor. the
honor that will keep us from signing
our own death warrant"
At the Chancellor's palace it was
declared that the terms constituted
breaking every promise Wilson had
made and the violation OF every one
OF his principles"
The special session OF the Cabinet
called by Chancellor Scheidemann on
Thursday, indlsputably was the grav-
est council in the history of Germany
and Will be exceeded In gravity and
fatefulness only by the final session
which will decide upon the acceptance
or rejection of the peace treaty. All
the members of the Cabinet were sum-
moned 10 attend the session by tele-
phone, and this call included all tho
members who were not in Versailles.
The meeting constituted the first tO
consider the peace terms. At the ses-
sion kilograms which arrived from
Count Won Brockdorff- -Rantzau, the
Foreign Secretary and head of the
delegation at Versailles. were dis
clSsed with some other messages
which were received during the night.
Protest against lnhuman. mercI.
less, annihilatlng' peace in "grossesr
contradiction of Wilson's principles
and the promises Of a peace of justice
and not of force" and an endeavor tn
negotiate with America and the Allies