New-York tribune., 1920-01-11

I'VE great powers represented in the
Supreme Council Of the peace confer
ence to take such action, being fol.
lowed in succession BY France. Italy
and Japan. The United States alone OF
the "Big Five" hes not ratified the
treaty. AS the list shows, formal mott
feat ons have been given by most of
the sma Ter powers signatory to the
treaty. China did not sign the docu-
r. cnt, because Of her objections to the
Chanting provisions, but proclaimed q
state of peace with Germany.
Demand Made on Germany
The ail-important ratification by
Germany was given on July 8, 1919
the day following VIII ch President Will
son presented the treaty to the United
States Senate.
The making Of the peace which now
becomes effective was begun shortly
after the conclusion of the armistice
of November II. 1918. which ended the
great war. The Treaty of Versai les, as
it has become kn nown, was signed in
tie h historic Versailles Pa.ace on June
%, 1919.
The long interval between the as
semblir,g of the peace conference at
Versai les, on January 1s, 1919, and
the signing of the peace treaty was
Y
on its provisions between the repre-
sentatives of the nations which had
been at war with Germany or had
broken relations with her. the princi-
pal parts being taken by delegates of
France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and
the United States. The first important
work comp eted was the drawing up of
the covenant of the league of nations
which was finished on February IA
The German representa- YES were in
vited to Versai les during April. afte,
the draft of the terms Of peace had
been completed. They received the
treaty on May 7.
The treaty not only defines the
terms of peace with Germany, but con-
tains the league Of nations covenant
and the provisions for the interna-
tional labor organizat. on. The docu-
ment comprises fifteen parts, w tn nu-
merous annexes. The treaty will enter
into force for each power at the date
Of the deposit of it's ratification.
In October last a ;ut1lcient number
of powers had ratified the treaty to
comply with the requirements for its
effectiveness. Because of the SINKING
of the interned German warships, by
their officers and crews at Scapa F,ow
however. and the failure of the Ger
mans TO i've up 10 some OF the arm s.
ice terms, the Allies on November ]
demanded that before the treaty was
put into effect Germany Should sign
protoco' providing for reparation for
the destruction of the warships and
guaranteeing the carrying out of the
armist ce terms.
Since that time the question Of tn
protocol ard particularly the rrpara-
tion provisions in it have been under
negotasfdons hatt*eon,y tho, sAlhefi SSu-
preme Council and the German gov
crnment. 1t was only within the past
fortnight that the situation began tc
clear an adius4 4ment of the tonnag"
demands upon Germany being reach ID
With the taking effect of the treaty
a number Of commiys ons created by
il spring into existence. The Lcarua
/ Of Nations will begin to furction and
preparations will be hastened for the
liking of plebisc tes in the areas wherY
the population is % have tie oppor-
tunity OF determining whether tnal1
errito~ies shall separate from Ger.
many and take on another allegiance
Watch Over Payments
Of the commissions now beginning
heir work, probab he most impor-
tant is the Reparations Commission
| which will do a great amount of the
labor incident to the execution of the
treaty its special duty being to rsgu.
late Germany's payment Of indemni-
fication during the next thirty years
Important also will be the commits.
cior's dea a'inr with the Snar V.1lov