Office of the Historian

Paris Peace Conf. 184.00101/124

Minutes of the Daily Meetings of the Commissioners Plenipotentiary, Monday, July 28th, 1919

July 28, 1919
  • Present:
    • Mr. White
    • Gen. Bliss
    • Mr. Harrison

I. The Commissioners approved the release of 2nd Lieutenant Robert Hale, as stated in Memorandum No. 508. Release of 2nd Lieut. Robert Hale

II. The Commissioners approved the release of Lieutenant Khachadoorian, as stated in Memorandum No. 509. Release of 1st Lieut. Khachadoorian

III. The Commissioners approved the draft telegram submitted by the Secretary General to remind Mr. Lansing of the question of the appointment of a permanent American member of the Inter-Allied High Commission on the Rhineland Territories, under Article 2, of the Rhineland Agreement.22 Appointment of American Member on the Rhineland Commission

[Page 352]

IV. Mr. Harrison read a memorandum from Mr. Grew regarding the suggestion which had been made by the French Government to the American Embassy in Paris, that the American delegate on the Transportation Section of the Supreme Economic Council should be present at an international meeting on August 6th, to discuss the re-organization of commercial relations with Oriental Europe.

The Commissioners took note of the contents of the memorandum in question, and suggested that Mr. Grew should call the attention of the Embassy to the policy of the American Government as the Commissioners understand it, not to participate in any permanent Inter-Allied Economic Commissions after the labors of the Supreme Economic Council of the Peace Conference shall have been concluded. There might not be any objection to having the American delegate on the Transportation Section of the Supreme Economic Council attend the meeting on August 6th. If the Commissioners’ understanding of the policy of the Government were correct, it might be desirable to call the matter to the attention of the Embassy, or the State Department, so that the American Delegate in question would not commit the United States Government to continued participation in any international organization without obtaining definite instructions in this regard. Presence of American Delegate on the Transportation Section of the Supreme Economic Council at the International Meeting of August 6th

  1. For the telegram as sent see Foreign Relations, 1919, vol. i, p. 6.↩