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

Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/6

CF–6

Notes of a Meeting Held at President Wilson’s House in the Place des Etats-Unis, Paris, on Saturday, May 10, 1919, at 11:45 a.m.

Paris, May 10, 1919, 11:45 a.m.

• Present
  • United States of America
    • President Wilson.
  • France
    • M. Clemenceau
  • British Empire
    • The Rt Hon. D. Lloyd George, M. P.
  • Italy
    • H. E. M. Orlando

Sir Maurice Hankey, K. C. B.	}	Secretaries.
Count Aldrovandi.
Interpreter—Prof. P. J. Mantoux.

(1) Austrian and Hungarian Treaties. Recogination of New States With reference to C. F. 4, Minute 8,¹ M. Orlando said that he accepted the draft which had been submitted by Sir Maurice Hankey on the previous afternoon on the subject of the recognition of the various States formed out of the former Austrc-Hungarian Empire and contiguous States. (Appendix I.)

(2) Corfu. Evacuation by the Allied Powers M. Clemenceau said that M. Venizelos had asked that the Allied Powers should evacuate Corfu.

M. Orlando, Mr. Lloyd George and President Wilson agreed.

(It was agreed that the Allied forces should withdraw from Corfu.)

(3) Reparation in the Austrian and Hungarian Treaties M. Orlando reminded President Wilson of a request he had made to him on the previous day that he should prepare a text of a reference to the Committee dealing with Reparation in regard to Austria and Hungary.

President Wilson said that he had not had time up to the present, but that he would take it in hand as soon as possible.

(4) Revised Edition of Article 430 of the German Treaty With reference to C. F. 2,² Sir Maurice Hankey handed to M. Orlando a revised draft of Article 430 of the Treaty of Peace presented to the German Delegates, which had been prepared by the Drafting Committee, as well as an English translation of the Drafting Committee’s Note. (The following text submitted by the Drafting Committee was approved:

“In case either during the occupation or after the expiration of the fifteen years referred to above the Reparation Commission finds that Germany refuses to observe the whole or part of her obligations under Part VIII (Reparation) of the present Treaty the whole or part of the areas specified in Article 429 will be re-occupied immediately by the Allied and Associated Forces.”)

The words underlined³ show the alteration in the original draft.)

M. Clemenceau undertook to transmit this to the Germans through Colonel Henri, to be substituted for the original Article.

(5) Comments by the German Delegation on the Treaty of Peace M. Clemenceau Clemenceau handed round a communication he had received from the German Delegation, making some preliminary comments on the Treaty of Peace.

(The Secretary was out of the room when this document was read, and was unable to obtain a copy.)⁴

President Wilson suggested the following reply:—

“In reply to the general objections which the German plenipotentiaries present to the provisions of the Treaty, it is only necessary to remind the German plenipotentiaries that we have formulated the terms of the Treaty with constant thought of the principles upon which the armistice and the negotiations for peace were proposed. We can admit no discussion of our right to insist upon the terms of the peace substantially as stated. We can consider only such practical suggestions as the German plenipotentiaries may have to present.”

(Further consideration of the matter was postponed until the afternoon Meeting.)

(6) Japanese Representation on the Committees Set Up for Dealing With Detailed Comments by the Germans M. Clemenceau read the following note from the Japannes Delegation:

“La Délégation Japonaise présente ses compliments les plus empressés à Son Excellence Monsieur Georges Clemenceau, Président de la Conférence de la Paix, et a l’honneur de lui exprimer son désir de se faire représenter aux Comités qui yiennent d’être constitués pour examiner les observations que les plénipotentiaires Allemands pourraient avoir à présenter relativement aux Conditions de Paix.”⁵

(It was agreed that the Japanese request should be granted.)

(7) Disposal of German Warships and Submarines Sir Maurice Hankey reported that the Secretary of the Japanese Delegation, M. Saburi, had called on him that morning and had presented a verbal request from Baron Makino that a representative of the Japanese Delegation should be invited to attend the meeting of the Supreme Council when any question relating to the disposal of German warships or submarines was under consideration.

(It was agreed that this request should be granted.)

(8) Austrian Delegates President Wilson said that Mr. Lansing knew the Austrian Delegate, Professor Lammasch, very intimately, and knew him to be a very reliable man. Professor Lammasch was Ddegatei not well, and had asked that his wife and daughter might be allowed to accompany him to St. Germain.

M. Clemenceau said he had already received a similar request, and had taken on himself to grant it. He said that the Austrian Delegates were expected on Wednesday.

(9) Division of Amounts Revised for Reparation Between the Allied and Associated Powers Mr. Lloyd George handed to M. Orlando a copy of the document signed by M. Clemenceau, President Wilson and himself, in regard to the proportions in which receipts from Germany should be divided between the Allied and Associated Governments in accordance with Article 7 of the Reparation chapter of the draft Treaty with Germany. (I. C. 178. D., Appendix 3.)⁶ M. Orlando undertook to give it his careful consideration.

Villa Majestic, Paris, May 10, 1919.

Appendix I to CF–6

It is agreed:—

That the Treaties of Peace with Austria and with Hungary shall each contain Articles binding Austria and Hungary as well as the other High Contracting Parties to recognise the frontiers of the various States formed out of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and of all contiguous States. Wherever possible the complete boundaries of all these States are to be fixed in the said Treaties of Peace with Austria and with Hungary. In cases, however, where it is not found practicable to fix the whole of these boundaries before the signature of these Treaties Austria and Hungary as well as the other High Contracting Parties shall agree to recognise these States within such boundaries as may be subsequently determined by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers. This will, of course, not apply to Austrian-Hungarian territory, the boundaries of which will be fixed by the respective Treaties of Peace.

1. Ante, p. 531.
2. Ante, p. 519.
3. The words underlined are printed in italics.
4. This note appears in the appendix to CF–8, p. 564.
5. Translation: “The Japanese delegation presents its most respectful compliments to His Excellency, Monsieur Georges Clemenceau, President of the Conference of Peace, and has the honor of expressing to him its desire of being represented on the committees which are going to be set up to examine the observations which the German plenipotentiaries may have to make concerning the conditions of peace.”
6. Ante, p. 401.