763.72119P43/844: Telegram
The Commission to Negotiate Peace to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:09 p.m.]
5531. Most urgent for the Secretary of State from Polk. Your 3934, December 1, 4 p.m. The French felt so keenly the absolute importance of our not departing at this particular moment that we unanimously agreed, as I telegraphed you,21 that our departure should be delayed until the 9th so we could lay the case before you and the President and get your final instructions. A delay of three days will not be material as far as our movements are concerned but it seemed to be of vital importance to the French. Everyone here shared their opinion that our departure at this particular moment could not but have a most depressing effect on the French and also encourage the Germans to refuse to sign the protocol.
It was necessary to send personnel and files to the ship tonight if we were sailing Saturday and therefore as a decision had to be made we decided to take the responsibility of delaying our departure until Tuesday of next week. We regret sincerely that this is not in accord with the views of the President but as I have already told Clemenceau and the President that we would delay our departure until next week it will be impossible to return to our original sailing date. I would respectfully urge you again to give this matter your most careful attention as I am convinced that our departure, in the face of the earnest pleadings of the French, would have a most disastrous effect. It may be that they exaggerated the importance of our keeping a plenipotentiary here but their belief is sincere and if by chance the Germans should continue to refuse to sign, nothing we could do would convince the French people that they had not been abandoned in their hour of need.
Clemenceau time and time again urged me to delay our hour of departure and this morning when I told him that we would postpone our leaving until the 9th, and in the meantime take the matter up with the Department with a view to seeing what arrangements could be made, he was tremendously grateful.
[Page 686]The recommendation of the Commission is that we leave Paris on the 9th and that General Bliss be directed to remain here until the Germans sign the protocol. The French are most anxious that one of our Commissioners should be left here for the sake of appearances, and General Bliss, while not anxious to stay, feels that if the Department wishes it it is his duty to remain until the Germans reach a decision. The Crillon could be shut up and General and one or two officers could get quarters in some hotel and he would have the services of Grew, Harrison, and the staff we are leaving at the Embassy. It would be understood that he would have no duties other than to watch the German situation, complete the Hungarian treaty and communicate such instructions as the Department might desire to send.
I can understand there might be some embarrassment in view of the attitude of the Senate but we feel that the presence of a commissioner could be justified on the ground that if the Germans refuse to ratify the treaty the Armistice period still exists and we would then all be practically on the same footing, no treaty would exist.
I regret sincerely that we felt it necessary to delay our departure, but the situation was deemed critical by all those on the ground and we felt we were compelled to take that responsibility. Permit me again to urge that you look at this matter in view of the new circumstances that have developed and if possible arrange to have General Bliss remain unless the German attitude changes before day set for our sailing. Polk.