Office of the Historian

462.00R29/133: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Wallace) to the Secretary of State

Paris, March 25, 1920—10 p.m.
[Received March 27—9:49 a.m.]

814. R-457. For Department and Davis.

Important proceedings 38th meeting O[rganization] C[ommittee,] R[eparation] C[ommission,] March 23:

A.
Accepted conclusions of legal service that O.C.R.C. has power, subject to coming into force Treaty of Saint Germain and to confirmation by Reparation Commission acting under said treaty, to (1) appoint liquidators for Austro-Hungarian Bank under article 206, paragraphs 6 and 7; (2) organize special section provided for in article 179 and annex II, paragraphs 2 and 3; (3) grant exceptions to general charge on Austrian state property permitted by article 197 to enable Austria contract loans.
B.
Appointed following members Austrian Section under annex II: Sir William Goode, England; Klobukowski, France; Scaramanga, Italy; Nicolas Speranza, Greece; Jean Mrozowski, Poland; Eugene Neculcea, Roumania; Georges Diouritch, Serbia; Osusky, Czechoslovakia; Colonel C. B. Smith, American unofficial representative; secretary general, Fred B. Bate, American. Meeting of section to be held at close of O.C.R.C. meeting.
C.
Received opinion [of] legal service that Reparation Commission should appoint two liquidators with equal rights for Austro-Hungarian Bank. Discussed question and referred to Austrian Section for immediate recommendations.
D.
Referr[ed] to Austrian Section [for] action in connection with finance service: (1) Austrian request for release of 382,000,000 crowns detained at Innsbruck, (2) request from Morgan-Harjes for formal instructions to negotiate the foreign securities of Austria released by O.C.R.C.
E.
Discussed Austrian request for intervention to restart coal deliveries from Teschen; decided Central European Coal Bureau to hereafter report direct to Austrian Section for its action and Austrian Section to draft scheme for its operation for approval by Reparation Commission.
F.
Report from finance service regarding loan to be raised on Austrian tobacco monopoly referred to Austrian Section. Rathbone.

Wallace