The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-01-21
VERSAILLES PEACE
PACT IS RATIFIED
SIGNATURES AFFIXED IN FRENCH
CAPITAL SIGNALLING FORMAL
ENDING OF WAR.
Treaty Not Only Defines Terms OF
Peace But Contains League OF
Nations Covenant.-United States
Alone Has Not Ratified Treaty.

Decentralization of the treaty
of Versailles were exchanged anu
peace between Germany, France, Great
Britain and the other allied and asso-
ciated powers, with the exception OF
the United States, became effective
at 4 :16 o'clock Saturday afternoon,
January 10.
The outstanding comment on the
ceremony is that it leaves the United
States the only power which was ac-
lively at war with Germany not now on
peace basis. That was the note
sounded by Baron Kurt Won Lersner,
head of the German peace delegation.
The delegates assembled in the pri-
vate office Of the minister of foreign
affairs where ut secret session the
protocol was signed ut 4 100 o'clock.
Led by Clemenceau the delegates
then filed into the famous clOckrOOm,
where were held the plenary sessions
Of the peace conference that fixed the
terms of the treaty. Baron Won Lers-
ner and Herr Won Simson, were the
last to enter the room and the first
to sign the minutes recording the ex-
change of notifications.
The proceedings began without any
ceremony, Premier Lloyd George Of
Great Britain following the German
delegates at the signature table. He
was succeeded by Premier Clemen-
ceau of France.
Premier Nitti of Italy, Baron Matsui,
the Japanese representative, and Paul
Hymanus, the Belgians' foreign min
lister, followed Premier Clemenceau in
the order named.
Then the delegates of the other rati-
flying nations signed in alphabetical
sequence.
Peaceful relations between Germany
and most of the nations engaged in the
great war with her are established by
the action taken on Saturday. The
peace treaty now goes into effect, as
between Germany and those powers
that have finally ratified it-Great Bril-
tain, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium,
Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, Po-
land, Siam, Czecho- Slovakia and Uru-
quay.
The United States alone of the "big
five" has not rated the treaty. AS
the list shows, formal notifications
have been given by most of the smaller
powers signatory to the treaty. China
did not sign the document because Of
her objections to the Shantung prOvi-
sions, but proclaimed state of peace
with Germany.
The all-important ratification by
Germany was given on July 8, 1919,
the day following which President Will
son presented the treaty to the United
States senate.
The long interval between the as
sembling of the peace conference at
Versailles on January 10, 1919, and
the signing of the treaty was Occu-
pied with almost daily conferences on
it's provisions among the representa-
tives Of the nations which had been
ut war with Germany or had broken
relations with her, the principal parts
being taken by delegates of France,
Great Britain, Italy, Japan and the
United States. The first important
work completed was the drawing up
Of the covenant Of the league Of ma
tons, which was finished on February
IA. The German representatives re-
ce!ved the treaty on May Z.
The treaty not only defines the terms
of peace with Germany, but contains
the league of nations covenant and the
provisions for the international labor
organization. The document comprises
fifteen parts, with numerous annexes.
It provided that as soon as it had been
ratified by Germany and three of the
principal allied and associated power
process verbal of the deposit of ratifi-
cation should be drawn up, from the
date of which the treaty would come
into force as between the powers
which had ratified it. The treaty will
enter into force for each other power
at the date Of the deposit of it's rati-
flcatiOn.
In October last sufficient number
of powers had ratified the treaty to
comply with the requirements for it's
effectiveness. Because of the sinking
Of the German interned ships by their
officers and crews at Scapa Flow, how
ever, and the failure of the Germans
to live up to some Of the armlstice
/ tn~ <I,N
manded that before the treaty was put
into effect Germany should sign pro-
tOcol providing for reparation for the
destruction of the warships and guar.
anteeing the carrying out of the armis.
tice terms.
| President Takes Stroll.