28 A RE VISION OF THE TREATY chap.

Wilson, and the other Allied soldiers also woreuniform." 1

Dr. Simons communicated his formal reply. Hewould accept the regime of the Paris Decisions asfixed for the first five years, provided Germany washelped to pay by means of a loan and retained UpperSilesia. At the end of five years the Treaty ofVersailles would resume its authority, the provisions ofwhich he preferred, as he was entitled to do, to the pro-posals of Paris . "The question of war guilt is to be de-cided neither by the Treaty , nor by acknowledgement,nor by Sanctions ; only history will be able to decidethe question as to who was responsible for the worldwar. We are all of us still too near to the event."The Sanctions threatened were, he pointed out, allof them illegal. Germany could not be technically indefault in respect of Eeparation until the ReparationCommission had made the pronouncements due fromthem on May 1. The occupation of further German territory was not lawful under the Treaty . Theretention of part of the value of German goods wascontrary to undertakings given by the British andBelgian Governments. The erection of a specialCustoms tariff in the Ehineland was only permissibleunder Article 270 of the Treaty for the protection ofthe economic interests of the Rhineland populationand not for the punishment of the whole German people in respect of unfulfilled Treaty obligations.

1 The Times, March 8, 1921.