Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-04-29

adopted by tho allies at the close of the
THE allied powers have taken cogniz-
ance of the letter of DR.. Goeppert (Head
of tho German delegation in Paris) of
April 90 transmitting a request from tho
German minister of war. asking that the
German government be authorized to re-
tain an army of 100000 instead of 100000
men, as provided for in the Versailles
treaty, and affirming that this is n
necessity in order to maintain order.
THE allies must declare Immediately
that proposition of this nature cannot
even be examined as long as Germany
Is failing to meet the most important
obligations imposed by the peace treaty
and does not proceed with disarmament,
on which depends the peace of the world
Germany has not fulfilled its engage
mcnts neither concerning tho destruction
of war material nor the decrease of its
electives, nor for the supplying of COAL
nor for reparations or the costs Of the
armies of occupation. 1t has given neither
satisfaction nor made excuses for criminal
attacks which several times members of
the allied missions in Germany have been
the victims of.
at has taken no steps to determine. az
was PROVIDED TOT III the prOtOCOl OF inc
treaty. its obligations concerning repara-
lions in order to make propositions with
the view of fixing the total amount which
1t must pay. despite the urgent character
that a settlement of this sort presents in
, The interests Of all the parties concern
ed. 1t seems to have not even considered
how it can meet its obligations when they
become due.
THE allies realize the difficulties met
by the German government and do not
seek to impose too narrow an interpreta-
ton of the treaty, but they are unanimous
in declaring that they cannot tolerate q
continuation of these attractions of the
treaty of Versailles, that the treaty must
be executed and remain AS the basis OF
relations between Germany and the al
lies, and that they are resolved to take
all measures, even, if necessary, the oc-
cupation of an additional part of German
territory in order to insure execution Of
the treaty. They affirm however, that
they have no intention of annexing any
part of the German territory.
AT the same time. the allies deem that
questions arising from violations of the
peace treaty as well as from the meas
ures necessary to insure its execution
would be more easily solved by exchanges
| OF views between the chiefs of the gov
| crnments than by note. Thus they decide
to invite the chiefs of the German gov
eminent to a direct conference with the
chiefs of the allied governments and re.
quest that at the proposed meeting the
German government present to them ex'
plantations and precise propositions upor
all the subjects mentioned in the fore
going.
IF satisfactory settlement is arrived
of nm Nni, h, oil; tod
will be willing to discuss with the German
representatives any questions which af
feet the internal order and economic wei
| being of Germany. But Germany mus
understand that the unity Of the allies FOL
execution of the treaty is as solid as i
was for war. and that the only method
of taking her place in the world is loyal,
to execute the engagements to which sh,
has subscribed"