Rhine, together with the bridgeheads, will be occupied by
allied and associated troops for 15 years. If the conditions are
faithfully carried out by Germany, certain districts, including the
bridgehead of Cologne, will be evacuated at the expiration of five
years. Certain other districts, including the bridgehead of Coblenz and
the territories nearest the Belgian frontier will be evacuated after ten
years, and the remainder, including the bridgehead of Mainz, will be
evacuated after 15 years. In case the inter-allied reparation commission
finds that Germany has failed to observe the whole or part of her
obligations, either during the occupation or after the 15 years have
expired, the whole or part of the areas specified will be reoccupied
immediately. If before the expiration of the 15 years Germany complies
with all the treaty understandings, the occupying forces will be
withdrawn immediately."

These are the essential features of the voluminous peace treaty
presented to the German delegates at Versailles May 7, 1919. There was
of course a storm of protest from all classes of German citizens at what
they considered the excessive severity of the terms. Had the fortunes of
war been different we would have seen far more stringent terms imposed
on Great Britain and France and our own country would sooner or later
have met equally hard terms. President Wilson justly summed up the
treaty as "Severe but just."

After weeks of delay, the exchange of notes between the Allied statesmen
and the German delegates, in a vain endeavor on the part of Germany to
secure modification of the terms--efforts resulting in only trifling
changes--the treaty was signed by delegates from all the Allied powers
(except China) and Germany, June 28, 1919, five years to a day after the
assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand at Serajevo. The five
years that had intervened constitute the most memorable period of time
in history. Probably no equal term of years had been attended with such
an appalling loss of life, had been more heavily freighted with woe, had
witnessed such a tremendous outpouring of blood and treasure as the five
years ended with the signing of the treaty.

The treaty was signed in the celebrated Hall of Mirrors in the wonderful
palace of Versailles, France. This hall is intimately connected with
great events in the history of France, of Germany, and now of the world.
Here was signed the treaty putting an end to the Franco