Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, Volume V

Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/123

IC–176H

Notes of a Meeting Held at President Wilson’s Residence, Place des Etats-Unis, Paris, on Saturday April 26, 1919, at 12.15 p.m.

Paris, April 26, 1919, 12:15 p.m.

• Present
  • United States of America
    • President Wilson.
  • British Empire
    • The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George, O. M., M. P.
  • France
    • M. Clemenceau.
    • Sir Maurice Hankey, K. C. B. Secretary,
    • Professor P. J. Mantoux. Interpreter.

1. Reparation, Dye Stuffs and Chemiclas, Drugs, Coal and Coal Derivatives (Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith who had remained on from the previous Meeting and Commandant Aron¹ were Present during the short discussion of this subject.) The Articles having been agreed by the British and United States Experts and Commandant Aron having assured M. Clemenceau that M. Loucheur had accepted them, the Articles in Appendix I were approved and Sir Maurice Hankey was instructed to forward them to the Secretary General for a Drafting Committee.

Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith and Commandant Aron then withdrew.

2. Italy Attention was drawn to reports of the movements of Italian troops towards Fiume apparently from Austria and of Italian naval movements towards Fiume.

3. Roumania and Hungary President Wilson suggested that Roumania should be asked to cease their aggressive action towards Hungary. Roumania had had considerable assistance from the Allies and was pressing her advantage of numbers and equipment. Her action was distinctly aggressive and might constitute a danger to the Peace. He recalled General Smuts’ suggestion that the Austrians should be invited to come to Paris. He suggested that an invitation might be sent giving a date a short time in advance to quiet things in Austria. This might arrest the danger to the Hungarian ferment extending to Austria. If Austria were put on a footing of respect this danger might be checked. This suggestion, President Wilson said, came from Mr. Hoover who had very good sources of information through his Relief Agencies. Mr. Hoover was afraid of a collapse in Austria. He asked if General Franchet D’Esperey commanded the armies in that region.

M. Clemenceau said that General Graziani² was now in command there.

Mr. Lloyd George suggested that M. Bratiano might be invited to attend and asked to stop the Roumanian aggressive movement.

President Wilson suggested that in view of the pressure of time it might be better to send him a joint letter.

M. Clemenceau thought it would be best to hear M. Bratiano for ten minutes after which a letter might be sent.

President Wilson suggested that the Austrians might be invited for the 15th May.

Mr. Lloyd George said there was not a great deal to be settled now with the Austrian Treaty.

President Wilson said it was particularly confined to questions of boundaries, which were in process of settlement and the proportion of Austria’s debt to be borne by the States formerly constituting the Austro-Hungary Empire.

Mr. Lloyd George said that he was not sure if the proportions could not be fixed. His view was that general principles should be stated first, and then a Commission should be set up to work out details. The calculation was a very difficult one involving not only the population but also the wealth of the country.

President Wilson agreed that the best plan would be to get a Commission set up.

This question was then dropped without any actual decision being taken.

4. A Communication of the Preliminary of Peace to the German Delegates The Council had before them a document prepared by the Secretary General assisted by the United States, British and Japanese Secretaries (Appendix II).

5. Examination of Credentials The first proposal for an examination of credentials by an Examining Commission presided [over] by M. Jules Cambon was approved.

The proposal that the President of the Conference should determine the date and hour of the examination as soon as the German Delegates arrived was also agreed to.

6. Recognition of Yugo-Slavs It was pointed out that the question of the recognition of the Jugo-Slavs was raised by the suggestion that the Germans might ask for an examination of the Allies credentials.

President Wilson said that the United States had already recognised Jugo-Slavia.

Mr. Lloyd George and M. Clemenceau said that Great Britain and France had not.

(It was agreed that a provisional decision should be taken for the British and French Governments to recognise the Jugo-Slavia Government before the Germans arrived at Versailles but that action should be suspended pending M. Orlando’s return. Unless some reason was shown to the contrary however, the Jugo-Slavs would be recognised before the arrival of the Germans.)

7. It was agreed that the Germans should submit their observations on the Treaty of Peace in French and English.

8. Written Procedure. Germans communicate Their observations in writing (1) It was agreed that the maximum time limit to the Germans to make their observations Peace Treaty should be fifteen days.

The Time Allowed to the Germans To Make Their Observations (2) That they should be required to make their observations on particular subjects within such shorter period as might be determined.

(3) That M. Clemenceau should instruct the Secretary General to place himself in communication with the groups which had considered the different subjects and invite their suggestions as to how long a time should be permitted to the Germans for the consideration of each of the subjects mentioned in his list.

It was pointed out that the League of Nations was not included in the Secretary General’s list.

9. Powers To Present The Secretary General’s proposal that the President should hand Powers To over Treaty to the German Delegation in the presence of the Plenipotentiaries of the Five Great Powers and of the Belgian Delegation only was not approved.

It was agreed:—

1. That the full number of the Plenipotentiaries of all Belligerents should be present when the Treaty was handed over.

The question of the inclusion of the Polish and Czecho-Slovak Delegation as belligerents was discussed but not decided.

10. Danzing Mr. Headlam-Morley stated that in a conversation on Thursday the 24th with M. Paderewski³ he had explained to him the proposed arrangement for Danzig. M. Paderewski had Danzig obviously been seriously disturbed, but had recognized that the matter had been decided in principle. He had asked, however, that two points should be provided for to which he attached the greatest importance:—

(1) That there should be secured to Poland not only the use and service of the docks, etc., but the actual ownership, especially of those situated at the mouth of the Vistula and outside the walls of the city.

(2) He suggested that the Polish control over Danzig would be secured by the disarmament of Germany, and that in order to help the general principle of disarmament it would not be desirable that Poland should make any display of military force in Danzig. While acquiescing in this idea he still wanted the power of protection against unorganised attacks by German “free-booters”.

Mr. Headlam-Morley had then said he would try and secure something giving to Poland the right if required for the protection of Danzig against external attack.

Mr. Headlam-Morley said he had not been able to ascertain who were the present owners of the docks.

President Wilson did not consider that either of these requests by M. Paderewski could be acceded to.

Mr. Lloyd George suggested that M. Paderewski would be satisfied with power of development of the Port of Danzig.

(This proposal was agreed to, and Mr. Headlam-Morley was instructed to draft the final clauses on this assumption.

It was also agreed that the protection of Danzig against external attack would be vested in the League of Nations.)

Villa Majestic, Paris, 26 April, 1919.

Appendix I to IC–176H

Dye Stuffs and Chemical Drugs

(a) The German Government agrees to give to the Commission representing the Allied and Associated Governments an option to require the delivery as part of reparation of such quantities and kinds of dye stuffs and chemical drugs as they may designate, not exceeding 50 per cent of the total stock of each and every kind of dye stuff and chemical drugs in Germany or under German control at the date of signature of this Treaty. This option shall be exercised within sixty days of the receipt by the Commission of these particulars as to stocks considered necessary by the Commission.

(b) The German Government further agrees to give an option to the Commission to require delivery during the period from the date of signature of this Treaty until January 1, 1920, and during each period of six months thereafter until January 1, 1925, of any specified kind of dye stuff and chemical drugs up to an amount not exceeding 25 per cent of the German production of such dyestuff and chemical drugs during the previous six months period, or in any case when production during such previous period was less than normal, said option may require delivery of 25 per cent of the normal production; such option to be exercised within four weeks after the receipt of those particulars as to production considered necessary by the Commission, which particulars the German Government shall give immediately after the expiry of such period.

(c) For dyestuffs and chemical drugs delivered under Paragraph (a) the price shall be fixed by the Commission having regard to prewar net export prices and to subsequent increases of cost. For dye-stuffs and chemical drugs delivered under Paragraph (b) the price shall be fixed by the Commission having regard to pre-war net export prices and subsequent variations of cost or the lowest net selling price of similar dyestuffs and chemical drugs to any other purchaser.

(d) All details, including mode and times of exercising the options, and making delivery, and all other questions arising under this arrangement shall be determined by the Commission to whom the German Government will furnish all necessary information and other assistance required by the Commission.

(e) For the purpose of this arrangement “dye stuffs and chemical drugs” include all synthetic dyes and drugs and intermediate or other products used in connection with dyeing, so far as they are manufactured for sale.

Schedule E

The German Government undertakes to accord to the French, Belgian and Italian Governments the following options for the delivery of coal to France, Belgium, and Italy respectively. The amount of coal to be delivered each calendar year shall be determined and notified to Germany not later than September 1st of the preceding year.

1. Germany is required to deliver to France seven million tons per year for ten years. In addition, Germany is required to deliver to France an amount of coal equal to the deficit between the production before the war of the mines of the Nord and Pas de Calais and the production of the same mines during the years in question—but not longer than ten years—not to exceed twenty million tons in any one year of the first five years and eight million tons in any one year of the succeeding five years.

2. Germany is required to deliver to Belgium over a period of ten years an amount of coal which shall not be less than the amount of coal exported to Belgium from Germany in the year 1913, or a total amount of eight million tons per annum.

3. Germany may further be required by the Allies to deliver to Luxembourg a quantity of coal equal to the pre-war consumption of German coal in Luxembourg.

4. For the delivery to Italy of not more than the following Quantities of coal:—

In	period	July	1919–	June	1920 . .	4½	million	tons
“	“	“	1920–	“	1921 . .	6	“	“
“	“	“	1921–	“	1922 . .	7½	“	“
“	“	“	1922–	“	1923 . .	8	“	“
“	“	“	1923–	“	1924 . .	8½	“	“
and the following five years.

At least two thirds of the actual deliveries to be land-borno.

5. The prices to be paid for such coal delivered under these options to be as follows:—

a. For overland delivery, including delivery by barge, the German pit-head price to German nationals, plus the freight to French, Belgian or Italian frontiers, provided that the pit-head price does not exceed the pit-head price of British coal for export, or in the case of Belgian bunker coal, the price shall not exceed the Dutch bunker price subject to the regulations of the Inter-Allied Commission. Railroad and barge tariffs shall not be higher than lowest similar rates.

b. For sea delivery, the German export prices, f. o. b. the German ports, or the British export price, f. o. b. British ports, whichever may be lower.

6. All matters regarding procedure, qualities, quantities of coal, time and mode of delivery and payment, and all other details will be regulated by the Inter-Allied Commission.

It is understood that due diligence will be exercised in the restoration of the destroyed Nord and Pas de Calais properties.

7. The foregoing provisions are subject to the approval of the Inter-Allied Commission and if the demands for export coal above provided for interfere unduly with the industrial requirements of Germany, the Inter-Allied Commission shall finally determine all questions of priority, but the coal to replace coal from destroyed mines should receive priority over other deliveries.

Derivatives of Goal

I. The German Government agrees to furnish the French Government on demand and to transport to the French frontier by rail or by water the following products:

Products	Maximum Annual Quantity	Duration
Benzoil	35,000 tons	3 years
Coal Tar	50,000 tons	3 years
Sulphate of Ammonia	30,000 tons	3 years

All or part of the coal tar may be replaced at the option of the French Government by corresponding quantities of products of distillation, such as light oils, heavy oils, anthracene, or naphthalene, upon proper and sufficient notice being given to the German Government.

II. The price paid will be the same as the price to the German nationals under the same conditions of shipment to the French frontier, or to the German ports, and shall be subject to any advantages which may be accorded similar products furnished to German nationals.

III. All of the products furnished as above, including details of the contracts, quantities, products furnished, exercise of option, mode of delivery and payment, shall be subject to the Inter-Allied Commission, and if the demands for the export of the above products interfere unduly with the industrial requirements of Germany, the Inter-Allied Commission shall finally determine all questions of priority.

Appendix II to IC–176H

April 25, 1919.

Communication of the Preliminaries of Peace to the German Delegates

(Draft by the General Secretary, Assisted by MM. Harrison, Norman and Saburi.⁴)

I. Examination of Credentials by the Examining Commission presided [over] by M. Jules Cambon.

a) Credentials of the Germans:

The President of the Conference determines the date and hour of the Examination as soon as the German Delegation arrives.

b) Credentials of the Allies:

It is possible that the Germans [may] ask for an examination of the Allies’ credentials. In that case it would be a matter of urgency to come to a decision concerning the recognition of the Kingdom of the Serbians, Croates and Slovenes (up to now opposed to by Italy.)

II. Written Procedure.

When the President hands over the Treaty to the German Delegates he will point out to them that they must within a period of . . . . . . . . . . submit both in French and English their written observations.

These periods are:

For:	of:
Geographical frontiers of Germany	days
Political clauses for Europe (Belgium, Luxembourg, Sarre, Alsace-Lorraine, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Eastern Prussia, Denmark Helgoland, clauses concerning Russia and the Russian States, recognition of new European States)	days
Political clauses for countries outside Europe (General clause of renunciation colonies, Siam, Liberia, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey and Bulgaria, Schantough)	days
Military, naval and aerial clauses	days
war prisoners	days
Responsibilities and punishments	days
Reparations and restitutions	days
Financial clauses	days
Economic Clauses	days
Ports, waterways, rivers and railways	days
League of Nations	days
Organisation of Labour	days
Final clauses (Execution of the armistice, and of the war state of Peace)	days

III. Handing Over of the Treaty.

The President will hand over the Treaty to the German Delegates in the presence of the Plenipotentiaries of the 5 Great Powers and of the Belgian Delegation.

Should the Polish and the Czecho-Slovak Delegations be also admitted?

IV. Decision of the Allies.

After having examined the observations presented within the aforementioned periods, the Supreme Council will send their answer in writing to the German Delegation, and determine a period of . . . . . . . within which a final global answer must be given by this Delegation.

1. Of the office of the French Minister for Industrial Reconstruction.
2. Gen. J. C. Graziani, of the French Army.
3. Ignace Jan Paderewski, Polish President of the Council of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs; plenipotentiary to the Peace Conference.
4. Leland Harrison, Diplomatic Secretary of the American Commission to Negotiate Peace; Herman C. Norman, Secretary of the British delegation; and Sadao Saburi, Secretary of the Japanese delegation.