The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-07-03

Sentlng scenes or the triumphant reign
of Louis XIV. and were carpeted with
rugs of the same epoch.
To reach the peace table the pleni-
p~otentiaries passed through a space
reserved for some 400 privileged
guests who were instructed to be in
their seats well in advance of the en-
try of the delegates. 1t had been ar
ranged that the delegates instead of
struggling in without order as they
did when the original terms of peace
were communicated to- the Germans
should make their entrance by groups.
each one being formally announced by
ushers from the French foreign office.
No Formally for Germans.
This formality was not prescribed
for the Germans, who were given a
separate route of entry, coming into
the chateau through the park and gain
ing the marble stairway through the
ground floor. Thus there was no oc-
casion for the guard Of honor to rem
der them military honors, which were
reserved for the Allied representatives.
Dismounted guardsmen with drawn sa-
Der, who lined the marble staircase
and the Queens apartments when the
Allied delegates passed, remained In
their places, however, for the entry Of
the Germans.
The setting OF the Hall of Mirrors,
a long, narrow gallery, $40 feet from
end to end, with high arched ceiling,
adorned with a~llegorical and historical
paintings by Lebrun and Bright, with
the light reflected from the mirrors,
which match the almost uninterrupted
array of windows forming the opposite
side of the apartment, gave a ton of
impressive state which would other
wise have been rather lacking in the
assemblage Of delegates, who were
clad as for ordinary gatherings in
frocked coats and getaways.
The German delegation which
signed the peace treaty arrived here
at 8 a. m. 1t consisted of Foreign
Minister Herman Mueller and Coloni-
al Minister johannes Bell. They were
accompanied by a small staff of secre-
taries.
Ceremony Lasts Long.
Big crowds were in the streets at an
early hour.
Every preparation was complete for
the ceremony in the palace at 3 p. m.
1t was expected to last at least three
hours. In addition to the treaty prop
er, the convention governing admins
tration of the left bank of the Rhine
and the protocol of June 81, inter-
preting the provisions, were signed.
The Germans expressed fear the
treaty to be signed might contain vari-
ations from the original, it was
learned. Secretary Dutasta of the
peace conference thereupon delivered
to Secretary Won Haniel of the Ger
man delegation a letter signed by Pre-
mier Georges Clemenceau, guarantee
ing the copy signed would not vary
from the text handed to Count Brock
dorff-Rantzau, former head of the Ger
man commission
German Threats Met.
German threats not to live up to the
treaty stipulations regarding the east
ern boundary have been met by the
Big Three with instructions to the SUI
preme war council to take up consid-
Grafton of the problem of getting mu-
nitions and wal materials to the Pol
ish army.
Colonel House, Lord Miner, Sir
John Simon, Signor Terespi and Vis-
count Chinda have been appointed a
special committee to draw up model
manufactures. The question of Aus
trian Preparations has been completed
and the remainder of the Austrian
treaty is expected to be presented at
st. German on Monday.
Germans Leave by Separate Door.
The soldiers stood in the embra.
sures of the windows overlooking the
Chateau park a few feet from their
commander-in-chief Marshal Foch,
who was seated with the French dele.
cation at the peace table.
A second change in the program was
introduced as a result of the attitude
taken by the German government,
press and public toward the execution
and binding validity of the treaty. The
German plenipotentiaries. instead of
UtiHs TtsdIutu lTOIu the iIlOIIle0t Oh the
signature. as representatives of a form.
erly friendly power with which diplo.
matte relations had been renewed, left
the hall after the signature separately,
by the door through which they en-,
tered. not joining the general process.
sion Of delegates to the terrace of the
chateau to watch the playing of the
great fountain of Versailles. For them
peace was regarded as concluded from
the moment of German ratification,
since the German government had an.
nounced it would sign the treaty only
under protest and German political
leaders had declared their intention to
work to undermine the provisions OF
the treaty.
Place Resembles Picture.
All the day before workmen and
officials were busy in the chateau put
ting the finishing touches. The peace
table, a huge, hollow rectangle. had it's
open side facing the windows and it's
tawney yellow coverings blending with
the rich browns, blues and yellows OF
the antique hangings of the room and
the rugs covering the dais. The mel
low tints OF the historical paintings Oh
the arched roof OF the long hall com