Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1919-05-15
Germany Considering the Treaty
Which Strips Her Of Much
Land and All Power.
FRANCE WILL Be PROTECTED
Won erockdorff- Rantzau and Associ-
ates Are Expected to Make coun-
ter roposals-AIIied Council
Working on Terms for
Austria, Hungary and
Bulgaria.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARp.

"The time has come when we must
settle our account" said Clemenceau,
and thereupon he handed to the repre-
sentatives of Germany what he aptly
called "book some $4,000 words of
peace terms to which Germany is re-
9uired to give adherence. When this
Is done indeed, whether or not it is
Germany stands shorn of vir.
tually all of her military and naval
power and of more than a million
square miles of territory, and economi-
cally and financially bound until she
has paid for the tremendous damage
she wrought in the war.
Whether by intention or by accident
the day was well chosen for the deliv.
cry to the Germans of the document
so fateful to them and their country.
1t was May Z, the fourth anniversary
Of one Of their most shocking crimes,
the sinking of the Lusitania. The re.
ception of the delegates from Berlin
was deliberately cool and the proceed
ings in the Versailles palace were
marked by stern formality. There
was no smallest pretense of cordiality
on the part Of the, representatives Of
the allied and associated powers, for
they felt none. "You have asked for
peace. We are ready to give you
peace" were Clemenceau's words, but
the peace offered will be as gall and
wormwood in the mouths of the Ger.
mans.
Count Won Brockdcrff- -Rantzau, re-.
plying for the. enemy delegation, ad-
mitted the utter defeat of Germany,
but denied her sole culp9bility for the
war. He intimated plainly that Ger
many would put in a counter claim for
damages because Of the loss of life
due to the blockade, and that in gem
elal She would take her stand on Pres.
idcnt Wilson'S fourteen points in op-
posing what she might consider oppres.
sive in the treaty. Indeed, it is clear
that the Germans intend to pay much
more. attention to those points than do
the allies. What this will avail them
is not difficult to forecast. Before get
ting the treaty they said unofficially
that they would sign it, but that Ger
many never would pay an indemnity
by which they presumably meant penal
damages such as Bismarck exacted
from France in 1871. The treaty; does
not call for the payment Of an in
demnity, as such, but the Germans may
so consider some of the items of repa-
ration. in any event, their refusal to
sign, or their failure to carry out the
terms of the pact. has been or will be
provided for In the plans of the eco
nomic commission of the allies. Pos
sibly the military will have something
to say and do, also.
M. Clemenceau informed the Ger.
mans that they would be allowed fif-s
teen days in which to make Inquiries
or observations" in writing, toswhich
the allied council will make reply. af-
ter which the council will determine
the time within which the Germans
must give final answer. AS soon as,
the ceremony in the Versailles palace
was over Count Won Brockdorff- Rant
Eau dispatched a copy of the treaty by
aerial courier to Berlin for the consid-
GRAFTON of the German cabinet and as
semEly.
The Germans maintained an ar,
rogant air during the proceedings
Wednesday, and It was noted that
though N. Clemenceau stood while adj
dressing them, Won Brockdorff -Rantzau
remained seated when he replied. This,
and the tone Of some Of his ntterances
made the allied representatives rather
Indignant.