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

Paris Peace Conf. 180.03401/95

CF–95

Notes of a Meeting Held at President Wilson’s House in the Place des Etats-Unis, Paris, on Friday, June 27, 1919, at 12 Noon

Paris, June 27, 1919, noon

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

Sir Maurice Hankey, K. C. B.	}	Secretaries.
Count Aldrovandi.
Capt. A. Portier.
M. P. J. Mantoux.—Interpreter.

Note: The following decisions were taken immediately after and during the dispersal of the meeting in regard to the Reparation and Financial Clauses in the Austrian Treaty, which is recorded as a separate Meeting.¹

1. The Council approved the attached additional Clause for inclusion in the Treaty with Poland (Appendix I).

The Clause was initialled by the representatives of Treaty with the Five Principal Allied and Associated Powers, and was taken by M. Cheysson for immediate communication to the Drafting Committee, since the Treaty with Poland is to be signed on Saturday, June 28th. Treaty With Poland

2. With reference to C. F. 92, Minute 8,² the Council took note that since the last meeting the attached resolution³ in regard to their decision on the subject of the raising of the Blockade of Germany had been approved and initialled by the representatives of the Five Principal Allied and Associated Powers, and, after being initialled, had been forwarded by Sir Maurice Hankey to the Secretary-General for the information of the Superior Blockade Council. Blockade of gGermany

It was agreed that the above decision in regard to the raising of the Blockade should be communicated to the German Delegates in writing by M. Clemenceau on behalf of the Allied and Associated Powers immediately after the signature of the Treaty of Peace.

M. Clemenceau read the draft of the letter he proposed to send to the German Delegation.

3. With reference to C. F. 93, Minute 6, Conclusion (1)⁴ and C. F. 93. A., Minute 2,⁵ the Council took note of the immediate telegram to the Dutch Government, which had been drafted by Mr. Balfour, and which had been approved for despatch on behalf of the Council on the previous day by M. Clemenceau, President Wilson and Mr. Lloyd George, but had immediately been communicated to M. Sonnino and Baron Makino. Holland and Delivery of the Kaiser

Baron Makino asked that, in the sentence “He is also the potentate” the word “was” might be substituted for “is”.

(This was approved, and Sir Maurice Hankey was instructed to use the utmost expedition to endeavour to secure the change before the telegram was despatched.

It was further agreed that this telegram should be published in the morning papers of Sunday, June 29th.)

A copy of this telegram, as finally approved, is attached, (Appendix II).

4. With reference to C. F. 93, Minute 6, Conclusion (2).⁴

Baron Makino said he would agree to Mr. Lansing’s draft telegram to the Dutch Government.

(This telegram was accordingly taken note of for use when the time came to give effect to Article 227 of the Treaty of Peace with Germany.)

5. (It was agreed that, as soon as the Reparation and Financial Clauses have been approved, the outstanding portions of the Treaty of Peace with Austria should be communicated to the Austrian Delegation by the Secretary-General.)

(It was agreed to hold a Meeting of the Council at Versailles on the conclusion of the signature of the Treaty of Peace with Germany.) Presentation to the Austrian Government of the Remainder of the Treaty

Villa Majestic, Paris , 27 June, 1919.

Appendix I to CF–95

treaty with poland

Poland agrees to assume responsibility for such proportion of the Russian public debt and other Russian public liabilities of any kind as may be assigned to her under a special convention between the principal Allied and Associated Powers on the one hand and Poland on the other, to be prepared by a commission appointed by the above States. In the event of the Commission not arriving at an agreement the point at issue shall be referred for immediate arbitration to the League of Nations.

26 June, 1919.

Appendix II to CF–95

Telegram to the Dutch Government

The Allied and Associated Powers desire in the interests of Peace to call the attention of the Dutch Government to the position of the German ex-Kaiser and the German ex-Crown Prince who, early in last November sought safety in Dutch territory.

The Allied and Associated Governments have heard with great surprise that the titular Crown Prince, who is a German combatant officer of high rank, has been permitted in violation of the laws of war to escape from the neutral country in which he was interned. They trust that no similar breach of international obligation will be permitted in the far more important case of the ex-Kaiser. He is not only a German officer who has fled to neutral territory, he was also the potentate whom all the world outside Germany deems guilty of bringing on the great war, and of pursuing it by methods of deliberate barbarism. According to the Treaty of Peace which is about to be signed with Germany his conduct will be judicially arraigned. But he still represents the military party whose influence has ruined his country and brought infinite suffering on the human race. His escape would raise their credit and revive their waning hopes. It would threaten the peace so hardly achieved and even now not finally secured. To permit it would be an international crime, which could not be forgiven those who have contributed to it by their carelessness or their connivance.

The Allied and Associated Powers are confident that these considerations will commend themselves to the Dutch Government. But they desire to add that should that Government feel that in existing circumstances the safe custody of the ex-Kaiser involves responsibilities heavier than any which it is prepared to bear, the Allied and Associated Governments are willing to undertake the duty and so relieve a neutral State of a thankless task which it never sought but which it is under grave obligation to carry out.

26 June, 1919.

1. CF–94, supra.
2. Ante, p. 671.
3. The resolution is not attached to the file copy of these minutes.
4. Ante, p. 700.
5. Ante, p. 710.
4. Ante, p. 700.