File No. 763.72119/9050
The Special Representative ( House) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3.33 p.m.]
38. For the President:
Yesterday afternoon we had a meeting of the Supreme Council at Versailles in which we made further progress on the military terms of armistice for Germany. We did not reach the naval terms because both Lloyd George and Clemenceau wanted to wait for Austria’s reply which [must?] come in by Sunday midnight. I disagreed with this procedure believing it a waste of time.
The Belgians are protesting articles 3 and 5 of the fourteen points. The Italians are protesting article 9.
The three Prime Ministers meet this afternoon at 3 o’clock at my headquarters to discuss the fourteen points. As a matter of fact Clemenceau and Orlando will accept anything that the English will agree to concerning article 2. I have spent almost every minute outside my conference discussing this article with the British. I am insisting that they must recognize the principle, that it is a strong case for discussion at the peace conference or before and I am having the greatest difficulty in getting them to admit even that much.
I have contended that they might notwithstanding [as well] refuse to accept the principle that laws governing war upon land was not [formed] a subject for discussion. I believe if I could get the matter postponed until you come that some satisfactory solution might be arrived at.