Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/140
IC–180B
Notes of a Meeting Held at President Wilson’s House at the Place des Etats-Unis, Paris, on Saturday, May 3, 1919, at 11:30 a.m.
- Present
- United States of America
- President Wilson
- Mr. Lansing
- France
- M. Clemenceau
- M. Pichon
- Admiral de Bon.
- The British Empire
- The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George, M. P.
- The Rt. Hon. A. J. Balfour, M. P.
- Capt. Fuller, R. N.
- The Hon. C. H. Tufton
- Mr. Brown
- Japan
- Baron Makino
- Viscount Chinda
- M. Yamakawa
- United States of America
| Sir Maurice Hankey—Secretary | |
| Captain Abraham | |
| Captain Portier | |
| M. Saburi, Japan |
1. The following draft resolution was before the Meeting:—
Submarine Cables
Draft Resolution
1
Germany renounces, on her own behalf and on behalf of her nationals, in favour of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, all rights, titles or privileges of whatever nature in the submarine cables set out below, or in any portions thereof:—
Emden–Vigo: from the Straits of Dover to off Vigo.
Emden–Brest: from off Cherbourg to Brest.
Emden–Teneriffe: from off Dunkerque to off Teneriffe.
Emden–Azores (1): from the Straits of Dover to Fayal.
Emden–Azores (2): from the Straits of Dover to Fayal.
Azores–New York (1): from Fayal to New York.
Azores–New York (2): from Fayal to the longitude of Halifax.
Teneriffe–Monrovia: from off Teneriffe to off Monrovia.
Monrovia–Lome:
| from about | lat. 2 deg. 30′ N. |
| long. 7 deg. 40′ W. of Greenwich. | |
| To about | lat. 2 deg. 20′ N. |
| long. 5.30′ deg. W. of Greenwich. | |
| and from about | lat. 3 deg. 48′ N. |
| long. 0.00. | |
| to Lome. |
Lome—Duala: from Lome to Duala.
Monrovia–Pernambuco: from off Monrovia to off Pernambuco.
Constantinople–Constanza: from Constantinople to Constanza.
Yap–Shanghai, Yap–Guam, and Yap–Menado (Celebes):
from Yap Island to Shanghai,
from Yap Island to Guam Island,
and from Yap Island to Menado.
2
Such of the above-mentioned cables as are now in use, shall continue to be worked in the conditions at present existing; but such working shall not prejudice the right of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers to decide the future status of these cables in such way as they may think fit.
The Principal Allied and Associated Powers may make such arrangements as they may think fit for bringing into operation any of the said cables which are not at present in use.
3
The Principal Allied and Associated Powers shall as soon as possible arrange for the convoking of an International Congress to consider all international aspects of communication by land telegraphs, cables or wireless telegraphy, and to make recommendations to the Powers concerned with a view to providing the entire world with adequate facilities of this nature on a fair and equitable basis.
(After some discussion it was decided to accept the first paragraph for inclusion in the Treaty of Peace, and to add to it a second paragraph in the following terms:—
“The value of the above mentioned cables or portions thereof, in so far as they are privately owned, calculated on the basis of the original cost, less a suitable allowance for depreciation, shall be credited to Germany in the reparation account.”
It was further decided that paragraphs 2 and 3 of the draft should form the subject of a separate protocol between the principal Allied and Associated powers. The following modification to the second of these paragraphs was agreed upon. Instead of the expression “powers concerned” the expression “principal Allied and Associated Powers” was substituted. The last clause of this paragraph therefore reads:—
“and to make recommendations to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers with a view to providing the entire world with adequate facilities of this nature on a fair and equitable basis.”)
Villa Majestic, Paris, 3 May, 1919.