Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1920 — GERMAN ENVOY. TO ACCEPT LIST [ARTICLE]

GERMAN ENVOY. TO ACCEPT LIST

Reprisals in Sight if Berlin Government Protects War Culprits, PARTY CHIEFS TO CONFER Berlin Lokal Anzelger Says Rumors That a Crisis Is Impending In the Government Are Without Foundation In Fact. London, Feb. 6. —“The list of war criminals demanded by the allies exceeds the worst expectations,” telegraphs the Manchester Guardian’s special correspondent at Berlin. “It is hardly an exaggeration to say It contains the name of almost every man prominent in Germany during the war —in a word, the leadership of the whole nation. One thing may be stated emphatically—lt Is out of the power of any conceivable German government to execute the allied x requlrements.” Paris, Feb. 6.—Dr. Wilhelm Mayer, German charge d’affaires at Paris, left Berlin for Paris with formal instructions to accept the allied note demanding extradition of persons accused of war crimes, says a dispatch from the German capital by way of Basle. The German government has summoned the chiefs of the various parties in the national assembly to convene Saturday, to discuss the question. Meanwhile, the dispatch adds, the government expects to be in possession of the exact text of the allied notes without which no decision can be taken. Disapprove of Lersner.

The German government disapproves of the attitude of Baron Kurt von Lersner in his refusal to transmit the list of Germans demanded for extradition to his government, .it was said by Foreign Minister Miller to M. De Marcilly, the French charge d'affaires in Berlin. Doctor Mayer, who returned to Germany after presenting himself to Premier Millerand recently, was summoned to Berlin from Munich by an urgent call, after the resignation of Baron von Lersner. What amounted to virtually a new note was sent to Berlin by the allies to be presented to the German government with the list of persons accused of war crimes, besides the original covering letter drawn up to accompany the list. The suggestion has been made in official circles here that If the Germans resist surrender of the accused, the latter may be tried by default. It is pointed out that while most of them never would undergo the penalties imposed by the court, It would be Impossible for them to leave Germany except for neutral countries. Might Prolong Occupation. Prolonged occupation of the left bank ,of the Rhine In case of refusal by the Germans to give up the accused is another suggestion made, it being recalled that the clause of the treaty relating to occupation provides the allied troops be withdrawn by stages, terminating the occupation in 15 years providing all clauses of the treaty are executed. Otherwise occupation may be prolonged indefinitely. This menace is counted upon to cause the German government to reflect before breaking any clause. The menace might or might not be carried out, but it is pointed out it would prevent the Germans from considering nonexecution of the extradition clause as a precedent for resisting the other clauses of the treaty. It was stated at the foreign office that the list of accused probably would be delivered to the German government either by M. De Marcilly, the French charge d’affaires in Berlin, or Lord Kilmarnock, the British charge, who is dean of the diplomatic officers In Berlin. It was said also that any list given out in Berlin up to the present could not be considered official. Rumors that a crisis was Impending In the government are said by the Lokal Anzeiger to be groundless. The cabinet members are in complete agreement on Germany’s policy, the newspaper avers.