Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-01-08


should be enforced, If necessary, by
the prevention of all financial, COM
mercial or personal intercourse" be-
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 to the peace conference Pres
ident Wilson sailed for the United
States to attend the closing sessions
of congress at Washington. Opposi-
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 in
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-Savs 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 IA 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 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 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 it 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
pcdCc
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 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 s 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 conference in which 81 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
President Wilson and Premlers Lloyd
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 consd-
Grafton by the council OF five. AS a
rpclIit cOua Dortc Of tha traotu y,ora