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

Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/136

IC–179A

Notes of a Meeting Held in the Quai d’Orsay, Paris, on Thursday, May 1, 1919, at 5:45 p.m.

Paris, May 1, 1919, 5:45 p.m.

• Present
  • United States of America
    • President Wilson.
    • Hon. R. Lansing.
    • Hon. H. White.
  • France
    • M. Clemenceau.
    • M. Pichon.
    • M. Jules Cambon.
  • British Empire
    • The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George, M. P.
    • The Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour, M. P.
    • The Rt. Hon. Lord Hardinge of Penshurst
  • Japan
    • H. E. Baron Makino.
    • H. E. Viscount Chinda.

Sir Maurice Hankey, K. C. B.,	Secretary.
M. Mantoux,	Interpreter.

1. Verification of the Credentials of the Delegates M. Jules Cambon gave an account of his interview with the German Delegates. Having been charged with the verification of their credentials, and having invited them to meet him at Versailles, he received a telegram stating that the German representatives would be presided over by Herr Lanisberg, the German Minister of Justice, and would include Herr Simons, the Commissary-General for Judicial Questions, and Director of the Department of Justice, Foreign Office, the Advocate Counsel, Counsellor of Legation Gauss, who would be at the Trianon Palace to bring the German credentials and would ask to receive in exchange the credentials of the Allied and Associated Powers. He had then sent a message to suggest that Herr Brockdorff-Rantzau as Head of the German Commission, should accompany the delegates. He had addressed a few words to the German delegates, and had asked for their credentials, which had been handed over. They had then asked that [for] the Allied and Associated credentials and he had handed them over. He had told them that if they had any observations to make on the credentials of the Allied and Associated Powers, they would meet again. After that they separated. He had received the impression that Herr Brockdorff-Eantzau and his colleagues were profoundly moved and that their attitude towards the Allied and Associated Powers was what it should be. Herr Brockdorff-Rantzau, who knows and speaks French fluently, as well as his officials, had said what they had to say in German, and had brought an interpreter. He felt it his duty to submit to the representatives of the Allied and Associated Powers that it was within the right of those Governments to decide whether the Germans should be permitted to speak German or should have to speak French or English.

M. Clemenceau said you could not forbid them speaking in their own language. He said that in the negotiations of 1871, Bismarck had spoken French when he was pleased, and German when he was not.

Mr. Balfour pointed out the inconvenience of having the interpreter for speech into two languages.

President Wilson said that the exchange of views would be in writing and that there would be very little speechmaking.

Mr. Lloyd George asked if M. Cambon had ascertained anything as to the German views of publicity of the Peace Treaty.

M. Cambon said the question had not been raised. In reply to Mr. Lansing, he said that the credentials of the Allied and Associated Powers were in the hands of the Germans for determination and vice versa.

In reply to M. Clemenceau, he said he had not fixed the date of the next meeting. Knowing the Germans as he did, he felt sure it would take them some time to examine all the credentials of the Allied and Associated Powers. The same applied to his own Commission, which he proposed should meet the following afternoon. He asked for 48 hours for examination of the German credentials, and would not be prepared to make any report before Saturday.

President Wilson said it had just been learnt that the Drafting Committee would probably require until Tuesday, as the date for handing the Treaty to the Germans. He suggested, therefore, that M. Jules Cambon’s Committee should make a careful scrutiny of the German credentials.

(This M. Cambon undertook to do.)

(Mr. White, M. Cambon, Lord Hardinge and M. Kimura withdrew.)

2. Communication to the Italians Mr. Lloyd George raised the question of whether some communication should not be made to the Italians. He suggested that a message should be sent to the Ambassador to the effect that for drafting reasons the handing over of the Treaty had been put off until Tuesday.

Mr. Balfour suggested the communication should be made to the Marquis Imperiali. When the Italian Delegation left, Baron Sonnino had written him a civil note to say that the Marquis Imperiali was left in charge.

President Wilson thought that the Marquis Imperiali was the person to address with any communication or approach we might have to make. This, however, in his view, should not be a communication from the Conference, but merely a communication from M. Pichon to the Italian Ambassador in Paris.

M. Clemenceau asked what exactly M. Pichon should say.

President Wilson suggested he should say that as a mere matter of opinion, the Drafting Committee did not expect to be ready with the Treaty until Tuesday.

Mr. Lloyd George suggested he should add that we expected to meet the Germans on Tuesday.

(It was agreed that:—

(1) M. Pichon should inform the Italian Ambassador in Paris that the Drafting Committee did not expect to have the Treaty ready for the Germans until Tuesday, and that the Allied and Associated Powers expected to meet the Germans on Tuesday.

(2) That this should merely be a message from M. Pichon to the Italian Ambassador and not a formal message from the Conference to the Italian Government.)

3. The Political Situation in Italy M. Pichon said he had some information to the effect that there was a certain movement against the Italian Government, from the Socialist side on the part of M. Lussati and from the opposite side on the part of M. Tittoni.

(At this point M. Pichon and Mr. Lansing withdrew.)

4. Attitude of the German Delegates President Wilson communicating [communicated?] a number of reports he had received about the attitude towards the Peace Treaty of the various members of the German Government including Herren Brockdorff-Rantzau, Ebert, Scheidemann, Bernsdorff, and others.

5. Article 46 of the Military Terms of Alsace [Peace] President Wilson read a letter he had had from General Bliss describing the conversation with Marshal Foch on the subject of the elimination of Article 46 from the Military Terms.

(This is the Article keeping the Armistice in force so far as not inconsistent with the Treaty.)

The tenour of Marshal Foch’s replies had rather been that he did not know enough of the stipulations of the Peace Treaty to judge of the matter.

President Wilson recalled the previous provisional decision to eliminate this Article and proposed that it should now be regarded as settled.

M. Clemenceau said he had no objection.

Mr. Lloyd George agreed, unless his experts should raise any objection.

The Peace with Austria and Hungary M. Clemenceau said he had been seeking the formula for his communication to the Austrian and Hungarian Delegates.

The following is a rough translation of the Note as agreed to:—

“The Supreme Council of the Allied and Associated Powers has decided to Austrian

invite the Hungarian Delegates furnished with full powers, to come to St. 12th

Germain on the 15th May in the evening, in order to examine the conditions of Austrian

Peace. The Hungarian Government is therefore invited to communicate forthwith the number and quality of the Delegates they propose to send to St. Germain, as well as the number and quality of the persons who will accompany them. The Mission will have to remain strictly confined to its role, and should include only persons qualified for their special tasks.”

Note. The reason for inviting the Austrians and Hungarians on different dates is that the two Governments are not friendly.

(It was agreed—

1. That M. Clemenceau should, on behalf of the Preliminary Peace Conference, despatch a Note on the above lines to the Austrian and Hungarian Governments.

2. That M. Pichon should be authorised to notify this to the Italian Ambassador at the same time as the information referred to in Minute 2 above.)

Sir Maurice Hankey was instructed to ask the Secretary-General to speed up various Commissions dealing with subjects affecting Peace with Austria, and to inform them that their reports should all be complete not later than May 12th.

(M. Dutasta entered the room.)

Requests From the Belgians for Information Dutasta read a communication from the Belgian Delegation, asking for—

1. The text of the Articles in the Treaty of Peace, which they would have to submit to the King of the Belgians.

2. A wording of the Articles in regard to the surrender of the German Colonies.

3. That the summary of the Peace Treaty might be communicated in advance to the Belgian Delegation, in order that it might be published in Brussels at the same time as in Paris.

(It was agreed to discuss this question on the following morning.)

Villa Majestic, Paris, 1 May, 1919.