Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-03
GERMANS MUST
SIGN BY JUNE 25,
PARIS PAPER SAYS
This to Be Allied Answer to
Rantzau'S Note Protesting
That Terms of Treaty Are
Impossible

HARlS, June I.-(haVdS line re-
ply of the allied and associated gov
ernments to the German counter pro-
posals, the Echo de Paris declares,
will be handed to Count Won Brock
dorff RantZau on Friday. 1t will
constitute a refusal Of the German
proposals. The Germans, the news
paper adds, will be told they might
either accept or refuse the allied
conditions before June 25.
CONDITIONS MORE THAN
GERMANS CAN BEAR-NOTE
WASHINGTON. June Ger
many, although realizing that she
must make sacrifices to obtain peace,
is convinced that the executions of
the peace treaty as drawn ARE more
than the German people can bear"
Count Won Brockdorff-Rentza
head of the German peace delega-
ton, thus sums up the attitude of
the German nation towards the pro-
posed treaty of peace in note to
the allied and associated powers, out
lining various German counter pro-
posals.
Count Won Rantzau asserts that
"the more deeply we penetrate into
the spirit Of this treaty the more
COuNluCSu we D6COIl0 OIL Lu6 1IlpOo-
sibility of carrying it OUT
The German note, delivered to
Premier Clemenceau, president of the
peace conference, last Thursday,
was made public last night by the
state department
The German delegation nowhere
in its note asserts that it will re-
fuse to sign the present treaty, but
declares on behalf of the German
nation that "even in her need, justice
for%her is too sacred a thing to al
low her to stoop to achieve condi-
tons which she cannot undertake
to carry out"
Exclusion of Germany from the
League of Nations, the note asserts,
means that in signing the peace
treaty Germany would be executing
a decree for it's own prescription,
nay, its own death sentence"
The German people, the note says,
hope for peace of justice which
had been promised" and stand
"aghast" at the demands made upon
them by the victorious violence of
our enemies"
Outlining it's counter proposals,
the German delegation agrees to re-
duction of Germany's army and navy
on condition that Germany be ad-
mitted Immediately to the League of
Nations; to renounce Germany's SOW
ereign rights in Alsace-Lorraine and
Posen, but as to all other territories
which Germany is called upon to
give up, the principle Of self-deter-
mination. effective at once, is asked
to subject all German colonies to
administration by the League of Ma
lions, but under German mandatory
and to make the indemnity pay
that will burden the German tax
payer no more heavily than the
taxpayer of the most heavily bur
dened among those represented on
the Preparations commission.
The note declares Germany Is
willing to pool her entire merchant
marine With that of the associated
powers. Neutral particfpatfon ingthe
inquiry as to- responsibility for the
war is asked.
Text Of German Note
The text of the German note
dated May 20 and addressed to Pre-
mier Clemenceau, president of the
peace conference, was made pubic
by the state department as follows:
""Mr. President: I have the honor
to transmit to you herewith the
observations Of the German dele
We came to Versailles in the eX-
pectation of receiving a peace pro-
posal based on the agreed prln-
ciples. We were firmly resolved to
do everything in our power with d
view of fulfilling the grave obllga-
lions which we had undertaken. We
hoped for the peace of justice which
had been promised to us. We were
aghast when we read in documents
the demands made upon US CD the
victorious violence of our enemies.
The more deeply we penetrate into
the spirit of this treaty the more
convinced we become of the i'm
possibility of carrying it out. The
executions of this treaty are more
than the German people can bear.
with a view to the re-establ1sh-
ment of the Polish state we must
renounce indisputab1y German ter
ritory, nearly the whole of the
province of West Prussia, which is
preponderantly German, Of Pome-
rama, Dantzig, which is German to
the core; we must let that ancient
Hanse town be transformed into
free state under Polish suzerainty.
We must agree that East Prussia
shall be amputated from the body
Of the state, condemned to q lin
gering death and robbed Of its
northern portion, including Memel,
which is purely German. We must
renounce upper Silesia for the bene-
fit of Poland and Czecho-Slovakla,
although it has been in close pollti-
cal connection with Germany for
more than $50 years, is instinct
with German life and forms the
oP ind11 stY-ia1 life