Paris Peace Conf. 184.00101/155
Minutes of the Daily Meetings of the Commissioners Plenipotentiary, Friday, September 26th, at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- Present:
- Mr. Polk
- Mr. White
- General Bliss
- Mr. Harrison
I. General Bliss read a communication which he had received from the Military Attaché at the Hague giving certain information [Page 435] obtained from a source not stated to the effect that Germany was preparing to attack France in October, when a revolution was expected to break out, and giving further detailed information regarding the plot and the preparatory steps which had been and were now being taken by the German military party to carry this out. German Attack on France
The Commissioners approved the suggestion that General Bliss should forward a copy of the report in question to Major-General Allen commanding the U. S. Forces of Occupation on the Rhine.
II. General Bliss read a communication from Mr. Grew dated September 24th with regard to the questions raised in the Department’s telegram No. 3184 of September 20th, 4 p.m.,39 relative to the policy which should be followed by the United States Government with regard to the further shipment of supplies and food stuffs to Esthonia in view of the peace pourparlers now under way between representatives of the Esthonian Government and the Bolsheviki. U. S. Attitude Toward Bolshevik-Esthonian Peace Negotiations
The Commissioners were not in a position to make reply to the inquiries contained in the Department’s telegram under reference and were of the opinion that inasmuch as the matter did not directly concern the Peace Conference it was a matter for the attention of the Embassy.
III. The Commissioners approved a further allotment to General Bandholtz40 and directed that he should be sent as soon as possible the sum of $6,000.00 to defray the expenses of his Mission, any unexpended balance to be returned to Mr. McNeir. Allotment for General Bandholtz
IV. The Commissioners approved the release of Mr. Russell to be effective October 25th on the conditions stated in memorandum 571 of September 25th. Release of Mr. Russell
V. The Commissioners approved the recommendation as stated in Memorandum 572 of September 25th that an additional allotment of $1000 be made to Lieutenant Hynes. Allotment for Lieut. Hynes
VI. In view of the contents of the Department’s telegram No. 3159 the Commissioners approved in principle the discontinuance of the Press Bureau of the Commission and authorized the Secretary General to wind up the Bureau unless he should be satisfied that there were adequate reasons for its continuance. Should the Bureau be closed, the Commissioners [Page 436] desired that a telegram be sent to the Department of State requesting that the daily news telegram “For Grew from Emery” be enlarged. Discontinuance of Press Bureau
In this connection the Commissioners approved the recommendation contained in Memorandum 573 dated September 26th regarding the release of Mr. Beryl and the payment of his salary up to October 1st. It was understood that upon the departure of Mr. Beryl the morning summaries of the French Press would be prepared by Captain Gordon of Mr. Grew’s office.
VII. The Secretary read an unnumbered dispatch dated September 13th from the American Chargé d’Affaires at Sofia to the Commission regarding the systematic violation of the armistice conditions with Bulgaria. (Memorandum 574 dated September 24th.) Allied Violation of Bulgarian Armistice
The Secretary also read a copy of dispatch No. 297 of August 27th from the American Chargé d’Affaires at Sofia to the Secretary of State reporting the departure of General Chrétien for Paris and also the attitude of his colleagues and of the chiefs of the British, French and Italian military missions in Sofia with regard to the policy heretofore pursued by the Conference vis-à-vis Bulgaria.
- Foreign Relations, 1919, Russia, p. 712.↩
- Brigadier General Harry H. Bandholtz, American member of the Interallied Military Mission to Hungary.↩