Office of the Historian

Paris Peace Conf. 184.00101/111

Minutes of the Daily Meetings of the Commissioners Plenipotentiary, Saturday, July 12th, 1919

July 12, 1919
  • Present:
    • Mr. Lansing
    • Mr. White
    • General Bliss
    • Mr. Harrison

I. Memorandum No. 466 containing a list of the various missions and commissions now in existence was read.

The Commissioners desired to be furnished with copies of this memorandum so that they might have an opportunity of studying this data with a view to cutting down unnecessary expense. Field Missions and Other Commission Retained at the Expenses of the Peace Commission

Generally speaking the Commissioners were inclined to believe that it would be necessary to continue the Rhineland Commission, Mission to Turkey, the Teschen Commission, Klagenfurt Mission, Halstead Mission, Dyar Mission, Summerall Mission and the Polish Mission. General Bliss has now under consideration the revision of the Mission to the Baltic Provinces. The Commissioners felt that the Mission to Southern Russia might be dispensed with and that the Mission [Commission?] rely on the information from the American Consul in that region, as this would be sufficient for all practical purposes.

II. Memorandum No. 467 was read. The Commissioners disapproved making the advance in question pending a decision regarding the necessity for continuing the Field Mission to Southern Russia. (See Item I above.) Advance of 2,000 France to Ensign Greene

III. Memorandum No. 468 regarding the temporary assignment of Mr. Arthur B. Lane to the Commission was read and approved. Assignment of Mr. Arthur B. Lane

IV. Memorandum No. 469 regarding additional personnel for Mr. Morgenthau’s Mission to Poland was read. The Commissioners hesitated to approve Mr. Morgenthau’s request in view of the large expense that would be entailed thereby, and desired to discuss the matter to-morrow, Sunday, afternoon at 6:30 P.M. with General Jadwin in Mr. White’s office. Additional Personnel for Mr. Morgenthau’s Mission

The Commissioners desired to be furnished with a brief memorandum regarding each of the officers already assigned to the Polish Mission and those whose names were now proposed, showing the [Page 296] duties to which each man will be assigned and his qualifications therefor.

V. Mr. Harrison stated that he had received inquiry by telephone of Mr. Sterling of the American Embassy asking for the opinion of the Mission as to whether the Embassy should deliver to the Azerbadjian Peace Delegation in Paris the sum of 1,000 pounds sterling which the Embassy had received from the American Consul at Tiflis. Delivery of 1000 Pounds Sterling to the Azerbadjian Delegation

The Commissioners felt that the American Consul at Tiflis had been remiss for accepting this money for transmission and believed that it would be undesirable for the Embassy to deliver the money to the Azerbadjian Peace Delegation. If the money had been received by draft this might be returned to the Consul or the Embassy might send the money to the Secretary General of the Peace Conference with a statement to the effect that the disposition of this money seemed to be a matter for the decision of the Allied and Associated Governments.

VI. Memorandum No. 470 regarding the proposed withdrawal of the detachment of the American soldiers now in Vienna to help in the enforcement of the Blockade against Hungary was read. Withdrawal of Detachment Now in Vienna for Enforcement of Blockade Against Hungary

The Commissioners believed that the detachment should be withdrawn and approved the recommendations set forth in the memorandum.

VII. Two memoranda addressed to the Commissioners by Captain Hornbeck requesting that they permit Mr. Beer to leave for the United States on or about August 1 and Captain Hornbeck on or about July 25 were read. Release of Mr. George Louis Beer and Captain Stanley K. Hornbeck From the Commission

The Commissioners regretted that for the time being they were not in a position to grant the request for release of these two gentlemen.

VIII. The attention of the Commissioners was invited to the fact that there was no record of the President having approved the recommendation contained in Mr. Lansing’s letter of June 13 for the appointment of Brigadier General John H. Rice on the Commission to examine the Draft Convention on the Arms Traffic submitted by the British and French Governments. Appointment of Brigadier General John H. Rice to the Commission to Examine the Conventions Proposed by the British and French Government Regarding the Arms Traffic

The Commissioners approved the appointment of Brigadier General Rice.