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  4. Document 180

Paris Peace Conf. 184.001101/18

Minutes of Meeting of the Steering Committee, August 5, 1919, at 2 p.m.

August 5, 1919, 2 p.m.
  • Present:
    • Dr. James Brown Scott
    • Prop. Johnson
    • Mr. Harrison
    • Mr. J. F. Dulles
    • Mr. A. W. Dulles (Secretary)

I. Dr. Scott gave the following analysis of the present state of preparation of the Hungarian Treaty:

(1) The Preamble and the Covenant of the League of Nations are ready. The frontiers of Austria are being finally drafted by the geographers and are practically ready for insertion in the Treaty. [Page 473] The Political Clauses for Europe are ready with the exception of the Italian Clauses. The Hungarian interests outside of Europe can be modeled on the same clauses in the Austrian Treaty.

With regard to the Military, Naval and Air Clauses, Colonel Grant submitted the following written report.

1.
The Military, Naval and Air Terms for Hungary were proposed by the Military, Naval and Aviation Representatives to the Supreme Council of the Allied and Associated Powers on June 7.
2.
Report on the strength of the army that should be left Hungary was contained in a general report of the Military Representatives on the strength of the armies for the new Eastern countries a few days later.
3.
A different draft for the military terms was proposed by the Delegation of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes June 19th. See S. H. Bulletin 478.

No action has apparently been taken on the Prisoners of War Clauses, but they can very closely follow the Austrian Treaty. The Clauses on Penalties can be taken bodily from the Austrian Treaty.

Mr. J. F. Dulles gave the following statement regarding the Reparation Clauses for the Hungarian Treaty—The first meeting was held on the 4th. In principle they will closely follow the Reparation Clauses in the Austrian Treaty, but it will probably be difficult to put them in final form until it is known whether any modifications will be made in the Austrian Reparation Clauses as result of the Austrian reply, as such changes, if made, should be embodied in the Hungarian Treaty. The same applies to the Financial Clauses.

The Economic Clauses were adopted by the Supreme Council on May 26th for insertion in the Hungarian Treaty.5 They will probably now have to undergo the same changes as were made for the Economic Clauses in the Austrian Treaty.

As regards Ports, Waterways and Railways, the Supreme Council directed that the clauses originally adopted for this section by the Supreme Council should be included in the Hungarian Treaty. With the exception of Section 3, Chapter 4, the Ports, Waterways and Railways Clauses are in final form.

As a result of this summary, Dr. Scott suggested that the following recommendations be made to the American Commissioners:

(1)
That action be taken to ascertain what Political Clauses as regards Italy should be inserted in the Hungarian Treaty.
(2)
That the Supreme Council consider at an early date the Military, Naval and Air Clauses which were prepared by the Versailles Council on June 7th.
(3)
That the Supreme Council direct the preparation of Clauses on Prisoners of War.
(4)
That the Supreme Council direct the Commission on Ports, Waterways, and Railways to draft clauses for Section 3, Chapter 4, in case this has not already been done.

II. Mr. A. W. Dulles stated that the Austrian counter-reply would probably be received on the 6th instant. He inquired whether any definite action by the Commissioners was necessary to see that the appropriate members of the American Commission should be prepared to consider it. Mr. J. F. Dulles stated that, he understood that the Supreme Council had adopted a resolution directing that this reply be submitted for consideration to the various Committees which had drawn up the original clauses.

III. Dr. Scott asked whether Mr. J. F. Dulles could take further action to hasten the completion of the agreement with Italy regarding the share of the Austrian debt. Mr. Dulles replied that the Italians had submitted a new proposal to which Colonel Peel and he had replied. Mr. Dulles added that the matter would be actively pressed in the hope of an early solution.

IV. Dr. Scott suggested that the American Commissioners consider the advisability of asking the Supreme Council to refer to the Drafting Committee the Arms Traffic and the Liquor Conventions, as well as the Revision of the Berlin and Brussels act.

The meeting adjourned at 2:45.

  1. See CF–34, minute 9, vol. vi, p. 53.↩