Paris Peace Conf. 184.012/37c
The Secretary General of the Commission to Negotiate Peace (Grew) to Major Arnold Whitridge
Paris, February 17,
1919.
Sir: The American Commission to Negotiate Peace has given attentive consideration to questions connected with the Mission to Germany headed by Captain Gherardi, and desires that the Mission continue its functions on the following basis:
- 1.
- The central Secretariat will remain in Berlin for the present consisting of Mr. Franklin Day with Mr. Schumacher as clerk. A code will be furnished to Mr. Day by the coding party.
- 2.
- It is expected that additional civilian members of the Mission will, when available, be sent to Germany including, if practicable, a code clerk.
- 3.
- The Naval Communication Party is to return to Paris at once and is to report to Admiral Benson for further orders.
- 4.
- The Commission desires that Captain L. S. Chanler shall report in person at Paris with a view to informing the Commission of the conditions at Hamburg and Bremen as gathered from his observations in these cities.
- 5.
- By arrangement with the Foreign Office, a party consisting of Major Blayney, Captain Peirce, with W. H. Webb as Field Clerk, is to be sent to the cities of Cassel, Frankfort a/M and Mannheim to report on local conditions. Such party is not to exceed a period of two weeks for their observations and is then to report personally in Paris to the Commission.
- 6.
- Major Arnold Whitridge and Lieut. E. T. Dewald are to proceed to Munich, and are there to consult with the party headed by Dr. H. H. Field as to local conditions. In especial these officers are directed to discuss with Dr. Field the matter of certain statements alleged to have been given out to the German press by Dr. Field. At the conclusion of this Mission to Munich, Major Whitridge is to return to Paris via Switzerland and is to report to the Commission in person, and Lieut. Dewald is to resume his post in Switzerland.
- 7.
- By arrangement with the German Foreign Office, a party consisting of Captain Robert Black, Lieut. A. H. Stonestreet, with A. L. Rosenthal as clerk, is to proceed to Breslau to investigate the political [Page 28] and economic conditions in that city and the surrounding country and is then to return to Paris and report personally to the Commission.
- 8.
- It is the wish of the Commission that the Secretariat shall coordinate its work with special commissions which may be arranged from time to time in order to investigate subjects of interest to the Commission, and that all possible assistance shall be rendered to such commissions by the Secretariat. A civilian head of the Mission, with more or less permanent residence in Berlin, is in contemplation.
- 9.
- Captain Black will retain the accounts of the Mission and furnish necessary funds for the various parties. Upon the completion of his work in Breslau, he is to bring the expense accounts of the Mission with him to Berlin from where the accounts will be administered thenceforth. Necessary funds for the maintenance of the Secretariat are to be left with Mr. Day.
- 10.
- The senior officer in each group referred to in paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 will be directed to report his probable arrival in Paris at least forty-eight hours in advance.
- 11.
- You are authorized to modify these instructions in such details as may be necessary, reporting by telegraph all modifications which you may make.
I remain [etc.]
J. C. Grew