Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-01-01

mercial or personal Intercourse b..
tween the nation failing to abide by
the decision and all other member
states Of the League of Nations.
On the same day that he presented
this plan 10 the peace conference Pres
ldent Wilson sailed for the United
States 10 attend the closing sessions
OF congress at Washington. OPPOSE
ton To the incorporation of the League
OF Nations covenant IN the peace treaty
already had developed in this country.
and President Wilson. upon his return
delivered an address at Boston ia
which he emphasized the necessity of
the United States taking a leading
part in the organization of the League
of Nations.
Meantime the peace conference was
endeaVoring to reach a solution of
several other vexing problems. A bit
ter dispute had arisen between Italy
and the new Jugo-Slav state as to the
possession of the eastern coast of the
| Adriatic. The Italians demanded pos
session of the city of Fiume on the
! ground that its population was largely
Italian, while the Jugo-Slavs main
! tained that possession of this port was
essential If their newly organized ma
zion was to have access to the sea.
The japanese delegates also gave
an early indication of their attitude
by insisting upon Japan'S right to re-
tain the Marshall and Caroline islands,
which she had taken from Germany.
President Wilson returned to Paris |
after spending little more than week |
in the United States. With his arrival |
in France on March IA the peace con-
ference began consideration of recon-
mendatons by various committees,
and the peace treaty began to take
definite shape.
On March "a the council of ten
which had been considering the chief
problems before, the peace conference
was replaced bya council of four, con-
sisting of President Wilson and Pre-
miers Lloyd George, Clemenceau and
Orlando. From that time up to the
actual signing of the peace treaty all
of the problems arising were disposed
of 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 plenary
session of the peace conference on
April IS. 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 I
he covenant should not affect existing |
for maintaining peace.
While 1t was not so stated specifically, l
his amendment was designed TO pre- a
rent the League of Nations covenant q
rom interfering with the Monroe doc c
rine. The revised covenant was c
dopted by the unanimous vote of the G
eace conference.
On April 80 the council of four,
which by this time had been reduced n
0 a council of three by the with
rawal of the italians, agreed to g
ransfer to Japan the German posses %
iOu vi Nldu-NlIdu ilC SJlllLlCoC tVit-
alton objected strenuously to this set OF
ement, although Japan agreed ulti- u
lately to restore the territory to Ia
hina. On May 6 the council deter HI
lined that Great Britain and her colo az
les and dominions should become ii
for the islands north of the LEI
IuatOr. WI
BY May 8 the treaty had finally been VT
,mpleted and on that date it was I'd
'esented TO the German plenipoten- as
aries at Versailles. The pact, while ny
represented chiefly the deliberations IL
the council of four, had been adopt nl'
by conference in which 81 allied III
Id associated powers were represent tii'
. At the same time 1t was an pr
unced that President Wilson and op
'emier Lloyd George had negotiated me
eaties with France providing that y"
e United States and Great Britain tie
puld come Immediately to the assist am
ce Of France in case of any future
provoked attack by Germany. When bee
2 peace treaty was submitted to the on
rmans the Italian delegates were sue
1SenI, naNlnS returned 10 EdTlS III wv
'ponse to an invitation extended by the
aSident Wilson and Premiers Lloyd der
orSe and Clemenceau. sup
The German delegates were not per- au'
tied to discuss the peace treaty with ISL
conference but were given fifteen aui
rs in which to submit their reply In 'lr'
ting. Announcement of the terms y
the treaty caused storm In Ger gov
ny. The terms were denounced by VIII
'sdent Ebert of Germany as being Cou
most severe ever Imposed upon deh
quished people" Several commu- Jan
atoms requesting changes in the lofe
,ty We're submitted by the German tute
agateH and these were given consd- cialI
ton by the council of five. As tari'
alt some parts of the treaty were sian
lie more lenient toward Germany. a
revised terms were presented to re
nj Brockdorff- Rantzau. head of the com
man delegation on June 16 and the As
mans were given seven dnvs I'm Orla