FINAL WARNING: Bringing the World Together
The armistice ending World War I on November 11, 1918, was
negotiated on the basis of Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” and on June 28,
1919, was included in the Treaty of Versailles, a 20-year truce which
divided up Europe, setting the stage for World War II. It demanded that
Germany pay war reparations to the victorious countries. The Allies
maintained that “since Germany was responsible for the War she was
liable for the costs and damages incurred by the victors.” This amount
was set at $32 billion, plus interest; which called for annual payments
of $500 million, plus a 26% surcharge on exports. The agreement
forced Germany to forfeit some of her prime provinces, colonies, and
natural resources. They signed away their rights, had to make trade
concessions, and lost what property they had in those foreign
countries.The Treaty was widely criticized. David Lloyd George, the Prime
Minister of England, said: “We have written a document that
guarantees war in 20 years ... When you place conditions on a people
(Germany) that it cannot possibly keep, you force it to either breech
the agreement or to war. Either we modify that agreement, and make it
tolerable to the German people, or when the new generation comes
along they will try again.” Lord Curzon, the British Foreign Secretary,
said: “This is no peace, this is only a truce for twenty years!” Even
President Wilson was reported to have said: “If I were a German, I
think I should never sign it.”The League of Nations was signed and sealed at the Paris Peace
Conference. Even though the United States was represented by
Wilson, Col. House was calling the shots. Bernard Baruch, who, as
head of the War Industries Board made about $200,000,000 for himself,
was also in the American delegation at the Paris Conference; as well
as, Walter Lippman (who later became a syndicated newspaper
columnist), Allen Dulles (who was appointed Director of the CIA in
1951), John Foster Dulles (brother of Allen, who later became the
Secretary of State under Eisenhower), and Christian Herter (who
became Secretary of State after the death of Dulles). English Prime
Minister George was accompanied by Sir Philip Sassoon, a member of
the British Privy Council and a direct descendant of Amschel
Rothschild. Georges Clemenceau, the French Prime Minister, had at
his side, his advisor, Georges Mandel, also known as Jeroboam