Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-01-16

'"'o ~ enforced. IL necessary nr
'"e prevention OF all financial com.
c'c'''t or personal intcrcours,." h..
tween the nation failing to oh;1, h,
'"e uecisi"h and all Other r,.mhar
s'a'eS oil The l.ca%uc Of Not,ruS
oh tile sam" day tbs. h, nr,ss,..,
ms pan I" the pcac, conference Ir,s.
suehe Wilson sailed for the i.n;,.d
Ss"'cs 10 attend the clusin. sessions
81 congress 1T Washington. Onnosi.
',"n 10 the incorporation of tho Leoru.
'" N".ionS covenant in the peace treaty
"'rehuy had developed in this ..oun,rv
anu president Wilson. unon his r.,urn
"eH'cred an address at Hos,,n in
which he emphasized, m. noc,..;.,. 80
'"e United States takin. a leading
part III the organization OF tho L,arun
of Nations.
"t''he The peace conference WIS
eh"eaVorliS to-, reach II solu,inn of
several other veNing problems. A hit
'e' oisrute had arisen between Italy
ana the new JuSo-Slav state ,s m tho
possession or the eastern co,s, or ~,
t' .''ic. The Italians demanded pos
Sessioh OF the city OF Fiume on the
E"'uiiu thaf its population was largely
''"i'th' while the JuEo-Slavs main
'"''e" mat possession OF this Dor, was
essential II their newly organized ma
'i"'' WAS I" have access to- the sea.
me Japanese delegates also gave
I'm early indication OF their attitude
oy insisting upon .Iapan's riyh, to re-
iln
which she had taken from Germany.
president Wilson returned Ia Paris
after spending little more than \ week
IN the United States. With his arrival
III france on March II the pence CON
ference began consideration of recon-.
mendations by various Commuters.
anu the peace treaty began 10 take
definite shape.
On March "a the couacil Of ten
which had been considering the chief
problems before the peace conference
was replaced by Il council Of four. con-
sisting of President Wilson and Pre-
miers Lloyd George. Clemencc.,u and
Orlando. From that time up to the
actual signing Of the peace treaty all
OF the problems arising were disposed
or by this council Of four, in which.
at times. the premier Of Japan also
participated.
The revised covenant Of the League
OF Nations was presented at plcnary
session OF the peace conference on
April 2S. President Wilson, as chair
man of the commission which framed
the covenant, explained the changes
that had been made. mostly as result
of criticism in the United States. One
OF the most important of the amend
ments made was that providing that
the covenant should not affect existing
understandings for maintaining peace.
While 1t was not SO stated specifically,
this amendment was designed to pre-
vent the League of Nations covenant
from interfering with the Monroe doc
trine. The revised covenant was
adopted by the unanimous vote of the
peace conference.
On April 50 the council Of four,
which by this time had been reduced
to q council of three by the with
drawai of the Italians, agreed to
transfer to Japan the German posses
sion Of 'kiau.Chau. The Chinese dele
cation objected strenuously to this set
Element, although Japan agreed ulti-
mately TO restore the territory to
China. On May 6 the council deter
mined that Great Britain and her colo
MES and dominiOns should become
mandatory Cor the islands north OF the
equator.
BY May 9 the treaty had finally been
completed and on that date It was
presented to the German plenipOten-
ttaries at Versailles. The pact. while
II represented chiefly the deliberations
Of the council Of four. had been adopt
ed by n conference in which q allied
and associated powers We're represent
ed. At the same time 1t was an
nounced that President Wilson and
Premier Lloyd George had negotiated
treaties with France providing that
the United States and Great Britain
would come Immediately to the assist
ance of France In case Of any future
unprovoked attack by Germany. When
the peace treaty was submitted to the
Germans the Italian delegates were
present. having returned to Paris in
response to an invitation extended by
President Wilson md Premiers Lloyd
George and Clemcnceau.
The German delegates were not per-
mi,tcd to discuss the peace treaty with
ihc conference but were given fifteen
days In which to submit their reply In
writing. Announcement Of the terms
OF the treaty caused Il storm In Ger
many. The terms were denounced Ivy
President Ebert Of Germany as being
the most severe ever Imposed upon
vanquished people" Several commu-
nications requesting, changes In the
treaty were submitted by the German