The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-08

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
tanned that possession Of this port was
essential If their newly organized ma
ton 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 a week
in the United States. With his arrival
in France on March Il the peace con-
ference began consideration of recon-
mendations 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 by a 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 fo
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 a plenary
session of the peace conference on
April %. President Wilson, as chair
man of the commission which framed
the covenant, explained the changes
that had been made, mostly as a 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 80 the council of four,
which by this time had been reduced
to a council OF three by the with
| drawal 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 for the islands north Of the
equator.
By May the treaty had finally been
completed and on that date 1t was
presented to the German plenipoten-
tiaries at Versailles. The pact, while
it represented chiefly the deliberations
Of the council Of four, had been adopt
| ed by a conference in which q allied
and associated powers were represent
ed. At the same time it 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
1 H.
George and Clemenceau.
The German delegates were not per-
mitted to discuss the peace treaty with
the conference but were given fifteen
days in which to submit their reply in
| writing. Announcement of the terms
of the treaty caused a storm in Ger
many. The terms were denounced by
President Ebert of Germany as being
the most severe ever Imposed upon a
vanquished people" Several commu-
nications requesting changes in the
treaty were submitted by the German
| delegates and these were given cOnsid-
Grafton by the council of FIVE. As a
result some parts of the treaty were
made more lenient toward Germany
| The revised terms were presented to
| COUNT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS edu OF Tile
German delegation on June 16 and the
Germans were given seven days in
which to sign. The German national
assembly on June %, by a vote of 237
TO 138. authorized the government to
sign the treaty. On June % the
treaty was signed at Versailles by rep
resentatives Of Germany and Of the
allied and associated powers The
Chinese delegates alone refused to
sign because Of the Shantung settle
ment.
On June % President Wilson sailed
from France and returned to the
United States after an absence OF
more than six months. On July 10 he
presented the treaty to the senate and
there at once developed bitter oppo-
sition to its adoption without change
or reservation.
On September 10 Senator Lodge sub
mitted the majority report of the com
mittee on foreign relations, proposing
amendments and four reservations tC
the peace treaty. Senator Hitchcock
presented a minority report, recon-
mending the adoption of the treaty
without reservation. There began Their
a determined fight between the opDos