763.72119/3282
The British Chargé ( Barclay ) to the Acting Secretary of State
Memorandum
His Britannic Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires presents his compliments to the Acting Secretary of State and has the honour to inform him that His Majesty’s Government propose that the following general warning should be issued by the British, French, Italian and United States Governments, in view of the disturbances now going on in certain parts of central Europe:—
In view of the fact that the final decisions of the Peace Conference may not be arrived at for some time to come, and that in the various districts armed unpleasantnesses for the possession of certain areas, which are in dispute between the different nationalities, have unfortunately taken place, the associated Governments wish to make it known to the different nationalities concerned that any attempt to anticipate the decisions of the Peace Conference by seizing or occupying such areas with armed force, will not only not assist the cause of those who have recourse to such methods, in the eyes of the associated Governments at the Peace Conference, but will certainly tend to prejudice it.
Telegrams in this sense have been addressed to His Majesty’s Ambassadors at Paris and Rome, and it is understood that a similar communication has been made to the United States Secretary of State in Paris.10
- In a memorandum dated Jan. 31, 1919 (not printed), the Department informed the British Chargé that his memorandum had been communicated to the American Commission to Negotiate Peace.↩