Georges B. Clemenceau, Prime Minister of the Republic of France, opens the Paris Peace Conference:

       The Society of Nations has its being here, it has its being in you.  It is for you to make it live, and for that there is no sacrifice to which we are not ready to consent.  I do not doubt that as you are all of this disposition we shall arrive at this result, but only on condition that we exercise impartial pressure on ourselves to reconcile what in appearance may be opposing interests in the higher view of a greater, happier, and better humanity.

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       I come now to the order of the day.  The first question is as follows: “The responsibility of the authors of the war.”  The second is thus expressed: “Penalties for crimes committed during the war. …

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       [W]e beg of you to begin by examining the question as to the responsibility of the authors of the war.  I do not need to set forth our reasons for this.  If we wish to establish justice in the world we can do so now, for we have won victory and can impose the penalties demanded by justice. [emphasis in the original]

       NOTE: January 18 was selected for the opening for the conference as it was the anniversary of both the proclamation of the Empire of Germany in 1871, and the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701.

       [added 4/12/2025]