Paris Peace Conf. 184.001101/23

Minutes of Meeting of the Steering Committee, Thursday, September 4, 1919, at 2 p.m.

  • Present:
    • Dr. James Brown Scott
    • Mr. L. Harrison
    • Mr. Woolsey
    • Mr. A. W. Dulles (Secretary)
1.
Mr. Harrison reported that the Supreme Council at its morning session had approved a note to the Roumanian Government drafted by Mr. Balfour.7 It was agreed that this note should be taken to Bukarest by Sir George Clerk, who had been acting as Mr. Balfour’s secretary and who was British Minister designate to Prague.
2.
Mr. Harrison further reported that Mr. Polk had submitted to the Council a draft of a proposed article to be inserted in the Bulgarian Treaty regarding future disposition of the Dobrudja. Mr. Harrison stated that while the Council would discuss this at its next session, it appeared likely that the British and French would oppose it.
3.
Dr. Scott stated that in case the Drafting Committee could have a final decision from the Supreme Council regarding (1) the Dobrudja, and (2) Bulgarian access to the sea, the Bulgarian Treaty could be completed and sent to the printers on Friday. Mr. Harrison [Page 479] replied that as the Council would discuss both of these questions at its next session, the Drafting Committee should be in possession of the necessary information by Friday afternoon.
4.
Mr. Harrison reported that it was believed that the Austrian Treaty could not be signed before Thursday or Friday, September 11th or 12th, as Dr. Renner could not possibly return to Paris before the afternoon of the 11th.
5.
Dr. Scott inquired whether the Supreme Council had authorized the Drafting Committee to work upon the Hungarian Treaty on the basis of the concessions which had been made to the Austrians in the last draft of that Treaty. Mr. Harrison requested a memorandum from Dr. Scott in order that the matter might be presented to the Commissioners and taken up in the Council if approved. Dr. Scott added that if the Drafting Committee were pressed, he saw no reason why the Hungarian Treaty could not be finished by the 17th instant.
6.
The Committee suggested that it would be desirable to have the Treaty for the Protection of Minorities in Czecho-Slovakia signed at the same time as the Austrian Treaty. As this Treaty is in the hands of the Drafting Committee, there seemed to be no difficulty in this regard.

The meeting adjourned at 3 P.M.

  1. See HD–47, minute 3 and appendix E, vol. viii, pp. 98 and 111.