Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/104
IC–170J
Notes of a Meeting of the Supreme Council Which Took Place at the
Prime Minister’s Flat, 23 Rue Nitot, on Monday, April 7, 1919, at 3.30
p.m.
Paris, April 7, 1919, 3:30 p.m.
- Present
- United States of America
- Colonel House.
- Mr. Auchincloss.
- British Empire
- The Rt. Hon. D. Lloyd George, M. P.
- General Sir H. H. Wilson, G. C. B., D. S.
O.
- Lt.-Col. Sir M. P. A. Hankey. K. C. B.
- France
- M. Clemenceau.
- Marshal Foch.
- General Weygand.
- Italy
- M. Orlando.
- Count Aldrovandi.
Interpreter—Professor P. J.
Mantoux.
1. Subjects Referred to Foreign Ministers It was
agreed that the Council of Foreign Ministers should be requested to
examine the questions in Appendix I.
2. Hungary: General Smuts’ Visits
Mr. Lloyd George distributed a paraphrase of a
telegram from General Smuts to Mr. Balfour. (Appendix II).
It was agreed:
That Mr. Lloyd George should inform General
Smuts that his telegram had been considered by the Supreme
Council, and that it had been agreed that he should visit the
French and Roumanian Headquarters, and ascertain the whole
situation in all aspects before returning.
3. Situation in Berlin
Mr. Lloyd George communicated the gist of a
message he had received from the British Military Agents at Berlin who
reported a great increase in Spartacism.
M. Clemenceau said that his information
corresponded to this.
4. Transport of General Haller’s Army to Poland
Marshal Foch made a short statement of the
results of his negotiations at Spa in regard to the transport of General
Haller’s Army to Poland. He handed round the three following
documents1:—
- (1)
- A Report on the negotiations of April 3rd and 4th at
Spa.
- (2)
- An Appendix to the above.
- (3)
- A protocol with Annexes.
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Mr. Lloyd George congratulated Marshal Foch on
the remarkable skill and ability he had shown in the conduct of these
negotiations.
Colonel House strongly supported this
expression of opinion, which was generally agreed to.
5. Allied Officers To Accompany General Haller’s
Troops
General Weygand asked that the Governments
which had troops in the area of occupation on the Western bank of the
Rhine should provide the Allied Officers to accompany trains carrying
General Haller’s troops across Germany.
General Wilson said that the number of British
Officers required was 83. We should have no difficulty in supplying
these.
Colonel House said he must consult the American
Military Authorities.
(Subject to Colonel House’s reservation, General Weygand’s proposal was
agreed to.)
6. Official Notification to the Polish
Government
General Weygand said that the whole plan of
transportation would require eight days to get into working order. It
would therefore commence on the 15th, and would continue until June
15th. He asked if the Polish Government had been officially
informed.
M. Clemenceau said he had seen M. Paderewski
today, and he had knowledge of the position.
(It was agreed that Marshal Foch should pay an official visit to M.
Paderewski, and give him an official notification on behalf of the
Allied and Associated Powers.)
7. Return of Russian Prisoners
General Weygand said that the American,
British, and French Generals were in agreement that the German
Government ought to be allowed to send back Russian prisoners to Russia,
provided that they were not sent against their will.
M. Clemenceau said that he had 120,000 Russian
prisoners in France.
(It was agreed that the German Government should be permitted to return
Russian prisoners, provided it was not against their will.)
Marshal Foch, General Weygand, and General Wilson withdrew, and financial
experts were introduced. The Meeting with the financial experts is
recorded separately.1a
Villa Majestic, Paris, 7 April, 1919.
Appendix I
The Council of Foreign Ministers is requested to examine the
following questions:—
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- 1.
- Preparation of an Article in the Treaty of Peace
terminating the state of War.
- 2.
- Preparation of Articles in the Treaty of Peace in regard
to the restriction of opium traffic.
- 3.
- The question of arms traffic.
- 4.
- A minor amendment of the military terms proposed by the
British Delegation.
- 5.
- The question of Morocco as soon as reported on by the
Moroccan Commission.
- 6.
- The preparation of Articles in the Treaty of Peace in
regard to the recognition of the British Protectorate of
Egypt and the renunciation of territorial privileges and the
recognition of the transfer to His Majesty’s Government of
the Sultan’s rights under the Suez Canal Convention.2
- 7.
- Preparation of Articles in the Treaty of Peace with
Germany by which Germany undertakes to be bound down by the
terms of the Treaty of Peace with Turkey, Austria-Hungary
and Bulgaria.
- 8.
- Preparation of Articles in the Treaty of Peace whereby
Germany binds herself to recognise a new regime replacing
the Treaty of 1839 as to Belgium.
- 9.
- Preparation of Articles in the Treaty of Peace providing
for the acceptance by the enemy of all Allied prize court
decisions and orders.
- 10.
- Preparation of Articles in the Treaty of Peace providing
for the recognition in advance by Germany of any
arrangements made by the Allied and Associated Governments
with reference to previous Russian territory, including
special arrangements with new States.
- 11.
- Waiver of German claims in the Antarctic region.
Appendix II
Telegram From General Smuts, Buda
Pesth, to Mr. Balfour, April 4, 1919
In consequence of the change which took place yesterday in the
Hungarian Government, Bela Kuhn is now Chief Commissary for Foreign
Affairs as well as for War, and probably the most important member
of the administration. I had a long conversation with him on my
arrival here this morning, and explained that the line notified to
the Hungarian Government by Colonel Vix was not intended to be a
permanent political frontier and therefore that the withdrawal of
the Hungarian troops behind it and the creation of a neutral zone
occupied by Allied troops, which was necessary if peace and good
order were to be maintained, would in no way prejudice the Hungarian
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case. I pressed him to
order the withdrawal of the Hungarian troops behind that line. Bela
Kuhn replied that there were two chief reasons why the withdrawal
was impossible. These were:—
- Firstly, that compliance with
Colonel Vix’ orders would involve the immediate fall of the
Government, because large sections of the population attach
great importance to territorial boundaries although the
Government itself did not. He observed that the mere demand
to withdraw had sealed the fate of the Government of Count
Karolyi.
- Secondly, if the Government ordered
such a withdrawal it would not be obeyed and it was not
willing to undertake an obligation which it knew that it
could not fulfil. The reason of this was that the hold of
the Government over the troops who were defending the
territory in question was very slight. Those troops were
local forces, mostly Szeklers. This plea is probably valid,
since information from many trustworthy sources has reached
me to the effect that the Government has but slight
authority over the Provinces and that it is in the main
effective only in the capital.
Bela Kuhn said that if the Government resigned, which it would do if
the withdrawal of the troops were insisted on, there was no party
capable of assuming power and that chaos would therefore ensue. If,
therefore, the Entente carried out its present policy, it must be
prepared to run Hungary on its own responsibility and to occupy the
capital and other districts as well as the neutral zone. In reply to
observations from me to the effect that great advantages would
accrue to Hungary from the removal of the blockade and the
establishment of friendly relations with the Powers of the Entente
which would enable the country to recover its prosperity, Bela Kuhn
said that he wished for such relations but that, for the reasons
above given, evacuation could not be carried out at present. He
proved insensible to the argument that the Armistice had to be
carried out and that political frontiers could be finally settled
later, though he said that the Hungarian Government adhered to the
Armistice. The Hungarian Government recognised the principles of
nationality laid down by Mr. Wilson and considered that the
situation should be governed by popular self-determination. The
Hungarian Government renounced the ideals of territorial integrity
formerly prevalent, but rather than yield to the demand for
evacuation which was constantly growing stronger, it preferred the
definite settlement of the whole question of frontier to be arrived
at at meetings between representatives of the Hungarian, German,
Austrian, Bohemian, Serbian and Roumanian Governments. He suggested
that I might preside at these meetings, to which the Hungarian
Government would bring an accommodating spirit and willingness to
make concessions from the territorial point of view. Count Karolyi
suggested that these meetings might be held at Vienna or Prague.
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Bela Kuhn further observed that the question of food and others of a
similar nature were more important to the Hungarian Government than
that of frontiers. The economic position of the New States might
therefore also be ‘dealt with at these meetings and it would
probably be necessary to come to some arrangement such as that
advocated by Masaryk,3
among the Danubian States.
It appears to me that Bela Kuhn’s suggestion might at once be
adopted, as it will in any case be necessary to invite the Germans,
Austrians and Hungarians to send representatives to Paris before the
signature of the Preliminaries of Peace. All parties interested in
the fate of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy could be called
together in order to settle at least principles on which definite
boundaries could be ultimately drawn, if not to decide the
boundaries themselves. On this basis it would be possible to sign
Preliminaries of Peace. I would accordingly suggest that, as all
other interested parties already have representatives at Paris, the
meetings should be at once held there and that the attendance of
German and Austrian representatives should be invited. If objection
is felt to a more detailed invitation to Austria and Hungary, the
summons might merely ask them to state their case before the
Conference. The signature of this Preliminary Peace might take place
at the same time as or even before the conclusion of the Preliminary
Peace with Germany, if proceedings are as far as possible
expedited.
I request leave to return to Paris as there appears to be no further
object in my remaining here.
