XVI. ACCEPTANCE OF THE ULTIMATUM TO SIGN THE CONDITIONS OF PEACE WITHOUT RESERVATIONS.

(A) THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

VERSAILLES, June 22, 1919.

MR. PRESIDENT: The imperial minister of foreign affairs has instructed me to communicate the following to your excellency:

The Government of the German Republic has from the moment when the peace conditions of the allied and associated Governments were made known to it let no doubt exist as to the fact that the Government, in harmony with the whole German people, must regard these conditions as being in sharp contradiction to the principle which was accepted by the allied and associated powers on the one hand and Germany on the other, as being binding in accordance with the laws of nations for the peace before the conclusion of the armistice.

Relying upon this principle of justice, which was agreed upon between the parties to the negotiations, and assisted by a clear exposition of conditions in Germany, the Government has left no stone unturned in order to arrive at a direct verbal exchange of opinions and thus obtain some mitigation of the unbearably harsh conditions, which might render it possible for the Government of the German Republic to sign the treaty of peace without reservations and to guarantee its execution. These endeavors of the Government of the German Republic, which were undertaken in the interest of the peace. of the world and the reconciliation of peoples, have failed owing to rigorous insistence on the conditions of peace.

Far-reaching counterproposals of the German delegation have only in certain points received any acceptance. The concessions made only reduced the severity of the conditions in a small degree.

The allied and associated Governments have, in an ultimatum. which expires on June 23, confronted the Government of the German Republic with the decision either to sign the treaty of peace presented by them or to refuse to sign. In the latter case, a completely defenseless people have been threatened with the forcible imposition of the conditions of peace already presented and with the increase of heavy burdens.

The German people do not wish for the resumption of the bloody war; they honestly wish for a lasting peace. In view of the attitude of the allied and associated Governments, the German people have no other force in their hands save to appeal to the eternally inalienable right to an independent life, which belongs to the German people, as to all peoples.

The Government of the German Republic can lend no support to this sacred right of the German people by the application of force. The Government can only hope for support through the conscience of mankind. No people, including those of the allied and associated powers, could expect the German people to agree with thorough conviction to an instrument of peace whereby living members of the very body of the German people are to be cut off without consultation of the populations concerned, whereby the dignity of the German State is to be permanently impaired, and whereby unendurable economic and financial burdens are to be laid upon the German people. The German Government has received passionate expressions of opinion from the population in the districts to be cut off in the east, to the effect that they will oppose themselves to the separation of these districts, which have for the greater part been German for many centuries, by all means they possess. The German Government therefore finds itself compelled to decline all responsibility for any difficulty which may result from the resistance of the inhabitants against their separation from Germany.

If the Government of the German Republic is, nevertheless, ready to sign the conditions of the Allies with the above-mentioned reservation, yet this is not done of its free will. The Government of the German Republic solemnly declares that its attitude is to be understood in the sense that it yields to force, being resolved to spare the German people, whose sufferings are unspeakable, a new war, the shattering of its national unity by further occupation of German territories, terrible famine for women and children, and mercilessly prolonged retention of the prisoners of war.

The German people expects, in view of the grievous burdens which it is to take upon itself, that all German military and civilian prisoners, beginning July 1, and thereafter in uninterrupted succession and within a short period, shall be restored. Germany gave back her enemies' prisoners of war within two months.

The Government of the German Republic engages to fulfill the conditions of peace imposed upon Germany. It desires, however, in this solemn moment to express itself with unreserved clearness in order to meet in advance any accusation of untruthfulness that may now or later be made against Germany.

The conditions imposed exceed the measure of that which Germany can in fact perform. The Government of the German Republic therefore feels bound to announce that it makes all reservations and declines all responsibility as regards the consequence which may be threatened against Germany when, which is bound to happen, the impossibility of carrying out the conditions comes to life, even though Germany's capacity to fulfill them is stretched to the utmost. Germany further lays the greatest emphasis on the declaration tha she can not accept article 230 of the treaty of peace, which requires Germany to admit herself to be the sole and only author of the war, and she does not cover this article by her signature. It consequently follows without further argument that Germany must also decline to recognize that the burden should be placed upon her on the score of the responsibility of the war which has unjustly been laid at her door.

Likewise, it is equally impossible for a German to reconcile it with his dignity and honor to accept and execute Articles 227 to 230, by

which Germany is required to give up to the allied and associated powers for trial individuals among the German people who are accused by the allied and associated powers of the breach of international law and of committing acts contrary to the customs of war. Further, the Government of the German Republic makes a distinct protest against the taking away of all the colonial possessions of Germany and the reasons given therefor, which permanently deny to Germany fitness for colonial activity, although the contrary is clearly established and irrefutable evidence to this effect is contained in the observations of the German peace delegation on the conditions of peace.

The Government of the German Republic assumes that it is in accordance with the desire of the allied and associated Governments that it has spoken openly both as regards what concerns its good will and also as regards its reservations. Therefore, in view of the condition of restraint into which the German people are forced by the requirements of the Allies-a condition of constraint such as has never been inflicted on any people in a manner more crushing and more disastrous in its consequences-and relying on the express undertaking of the allied and associated Governments in their memorandum of June 16, 1919, the German Government believes itself to be entitled to address the following modest request to the allied and associated Governments, in the expectation that the allied and associated Governments will consider the following declaration as an integral portion of the treaty:

Within two years, counting from the day when the treaty is signed, the allied and associated Governments will submit the present treaty to the high council of the powers, as constituted in article 4, for the purpose of subsequent examination. Before this high council the German plenipotentiaries are to enjoy the same rights and privileges as the representatives of the other contracting powers of the present treaty. This council shall decide in regard to those conditions of the present treaty which impair the rights to self-determination of the German people and also in regard to the stipulation whereby the free economic development of Germany on a footing of equal rights is impeded.

The Government of the German Republic accordingly gives the declaration of its consent, as required by the note of June 16, 1919, in the following terms:

The Government of the German Republic is ready to sign the treaty of peace, without, however, recognizing thereby that the German people was the author of the war and without undertaking any responsibility for delivering persons in accordance with Articles 227 to 230 of the treaty of peace. Weimar, June 21, 1919.

BAUER,

President of the Imperial Ministry.

Accept, Mr. President, the expression of my high consideration.

VON HANIEL.

(B) THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION.

PARIS, June 22, 1919.

SIR: The allied and associated powers have considered the note of the German delegation of even date, and, in view of the shortness

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of time remaining, feel it their duty to reply at once. Of the time within which the German Government must make its final decision as to the signature of the treaty less than 24 hours remains. The allied and associated Governments have given fullest consideration to all representations hitherto made by the German Government with regard to the treaty, and have replied with complete frankness. They have made such concessions as they thought it was just to make.

The present note of the German delegation presents no arguments or considerations not already examined. The allied and associated Governments, therefore, feel constrained to say that the time for discussion is past.

They can accept or acknowledge no qualification or reservation and must require of the German representatives an unequivocal decision as to their purposes to sign and accept as a whole, or not to sign and accept, the treaty as finally formulated.

After the signature the allied and associated powers must hold Germany responsible for the execution of every stipulation of the treaty.

Accept the assurances of my high consideration.

CLEMENCEAU.

(C) THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

VERSAILLES, June 23, 1919. To his excellency, the president of the peace conference, M. CLEMEN

CEAU:

Mr. PRESIDENT: The minister for foreign affairs instructs me to beg the allied and associated Governments to prolong for 48 hours the time limit for answering your excellency's note, communicated yesterday evening, and likewise the time limit for answering the note of June 16, 1919.

It was only on Saturday, after great difficulties, that a new cabinet was formed, which, unlike its predecessor, could come to an agreement to declare its willingness to sign the treaty as regards nearly all its provisions. The national assembly has expressed its confidence in this cabinet by a large majority of votes. The answer only arrived here just before midnight, as the direct wire from Versailles to Weimar was out of order. The Government must come into contact anew with the national assembly, in order to take the grievous decision which is still required of it in such a manner as it can only be taken in accordance with democratic principles and with the internal situation in Germany.

Accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my high consideration. VON HAIMHAUSEN.

(D) THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION.

PARIS, June 23, 1919.

Mr. PRESIDENT: The allied and associated Governments beg to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of June 23. After

full consideration of your request, they regret that it is not possible to extend the time already granted to your excellency to make known your decision relative to the signature of the treaty without any reservation.

Accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my high consideration. CLEMENCEAU.

(E) THE PRESIDENT OF THE GERMAN PEACE DELEGATION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

VERSAILLES, June 23, 1919. Mr. PRESIDENT: The minister of foreign affairs has instructed me to communicate to your excellency the following:

"It is apparent to the Government of the German Republic, in consternation at the last communication of the allied and associated Governments, that these Governments have decided to wrest from Germany by force acceptance of the peace conditions, even those which, without presenting any material significance, aim at divesting the German people of their honor. No act of violence can touch the honor of the German people. The German people, after frightful suffering in these last years, have no means of defending themselves by external action. Yielding to superior force, and without renouncing in the meantime its own view of the unheard-of injustice of the peace conditions, the Government of the German Republic declares that it is ready to accept and sign the peace conditions imposed.” Accept, Mr. President, assurances of my high consideration.

VON HANIEL.