Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, Volume XI

Paris Peace Conf. 103.93/58

The Executive Committee of the American Correspondents in Paris to Mr. Frank L. Polk

[Paris,] August 5, 1919.

Dear Mr. Polk: As members of a committee designated by the American newspaper correspondents in Paris who are using the cable and wireless regularly and are especially interested in the activities of the Peace Conference, we wish to call to the attention of the American delegates the necessity, in our opinion, for the continuation throughout the negotiation of all the treaties growing out of the war of the arrangements for the press which obtained while the German Treaty was in process of negotiation.

The use of the wireless granted to American newspapers and news associations through the courtesy of the American Government has been of mutual advantage, in our opinion, to the American Government and the American Press, and we trust it will be possible for the Peace Delegation to arrange for the continuation of this service until all the treaties are disposed of. This service has enabled individual papers to carry much more matter than they could have afforded to send by cable and has undoubtedly been an important factor in enlightening public opinion in the United States.

During the German peace negotiations the American correspondents were granted an audience with a member of the delegation both in the morning and in the afternoon. Mr. White saw us in the morning and Col. House in the afternoon. This arrangement enabled morning and afternoon newspapers to vary their service. Will it not be possible for you to see us daily at 6 p.m. and for Mr. White to see us at 10.30 a.m.? Such appointments would enable us to check up matter appearing in the foreign press and to keep the American view before the public at home.

Twelve of the representative newspapers of New York, Brooklyn, Chicago and Philadelphia, as well as the four more important news services of the United States, have correspondents who are covering the Conference daily. In addition many American magazines, weeklies and feature services have writers in Paris who are dependent upon frequent conferences for their information concerning the progress of the treaty negotiations. All of these correspondents will be deeply grateful for any assistance you and the other members of the American delegation may be able to give us which will make it possible to serve the American public more efficiently.

Very truly yours,

Executive Committee,
American Correspondents in Paris,

Laurence Hills

, Chairman.

President Wilson to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (Lodge)⁸²

Washington, 8 August, 1919.

My Dear Mr. Chairman: I have at last been able to go personally over the great mass of papers which remained in my hands at the close of my stay in Paris, and am disappointed to find that it is in no respect a complete file, the complete files remaining with the American Commission.

You ask for all drafts or forms presented to or considered by the Peace Commissioners relating to the League of Nations, and particularly the draft or form prepared or presented by the Commissioners of the United States. There are no formal drafts in my possession, except that presented by the American Commissioners, and this I take pleasure in enclosing, along with the formal Report of the Commission on the League of Nations.⁸³

You also ask for all proceedings, arguments, and debates, including a transcript of the stenographic reports of the Peace Commission relating to or concerning a League of Nations or the League of Nations finally adopted, and all data bearing upon or used in connection with the Treaty of Peace with Germany now pending. No stenographic reports were taken of the debates on the League of Nations, and such memoranda as were taken it was agreed should be confidential. The reason for regarding as confidential intimate exchanges of opinion with regard to many delicate matters will, of course, occur to you, and I beg to say that I am following the example of the representatives of the other Governments in making this explanation.

The various data bearing upon or used in connection with the Treaty of Peace with Germany are so miscellaneous and enormous in mass that it would be impossible for me to supply them without bringing from Paris the whole file of papers of the Commission itself, and would include many memoranda which, it was agreed on grounds of public policy, it would be unwise to make use of outside the Conference.

Very sincerely yours,

Woodrow Wilson

82. Reprinted from Congressional Record, vol. 58, pt. 4, p. 3752.
83. Enclosures not reprinted.