Paris Peace Conf. 184.00101/141
Minutes of the Daily Meetings of the Commissioners Plenipotentiary, Tuesday, August 19, 1919
- Present:
- Mr. Polk
- Mr. Harrison
I. Mr. Polk approved the recommendations contained in the memorandum entitled “Courier Service”, dated August 18th, namely, that a telegram be sent urging the State Department to approve the request of the Embassy for authority to appoint or have assigned to it, nine marines in addition to the four or five they now have, to maintain a courier service with the principal Embassies and Legations in Europe, and that a Lieutenant to be designated by Colonel Moore, be demobilized and placed in charge of the Courier Office of the Commission. Courier Service
II. Memorandum No. 550, regarding the release of members of the Turkish Mandate Mission and their return to the United States (see telegram No. 1310, August 16, from Admiral Bristol), was read. Release of Members of Turkish Mandate Mission
Mr. Polk approved the release of the members of the Mission in the same way and at the same time as members of other field missions have been or will be released, and authorized the Executive Office to proceed to obtain transportation for the members of the Mission as set forth in the memorandum under reference, it being understood that this would not apply to any [Page 390] temporary army officers attached to the Mission for whom transportation to the United States would, of course, be arranged by the Army.
III. Memorandum No. 551, regarding a request made by Mr. Raymond B. Fosdick, Assistant to Sir Eric Drummond, Secretary General of the League of Nations, to Mr. John Foster Dulles for a number of records of the Conference, and in particular the minutes of the Commission on the Execution of the Treaty with Germany, was read. Mr. Fosdick Request Records of the Conference
In view of the fact that the Treaty had not yet been ratified by the United States Senate, and in view of the fact that none of the minutes of the Conference Commissions had as yet been made public, Mr. Polk disapproved Mr. Fosdick’s request for copies of any documents which had not been communicated to the Senate, and which were still treated as confidential. In any case, the consent of the Secretary of State would have to be secured by Mr. Fosdick before he could be furnished with any confidential Conference documents.