Paris Peace Conf. 184.00101/55
Minutes of the Daily Meetings of the Commissioners Plenipotentiary, Tuesday, April 22, 1919
April 22, 1919
- Present:
- Mr. Lansing
- Mr. White
- General Bliss
- Mr. Herter
- 1.
- Memorandum No. 233 was read regarding a recommendation made by Mr. Ray Stannard Baker to the effect that Miss Catherine D. Groth, Mr. Baker’s Secretary, be given an increase from 900 francs per month to 1400 francs per month dating from April 1st. In view of the excellent report submitted by Mr. Baker of Miss Groth’s work, the Commissioners approved of the suggested increase. Increase for Miss Catherine D. Groth
- 2.
- Memorandum No. 234 was read in which a memorandum prepared by Mr. Alexander Legge to Mr. Baruch was quoted, suggesting that Mr. Robert S. Brookings, Chairman of the Price-Fixing Committee at Washington, be appointed to represent the United States on a committee dealing with commercial problems arising in the occupied districts after the signing of the Peace Treaty, provided the territory is still to be occupied and if American troops are to participate in such occupation. In view of the recommendation by Mr. Legge, as indorsed by Mr. Baruch, the Commissioners approved of Mr. Brookings’ appointment to act as American representative on the Committee in question. American Representative on Commercial Problems in Occupied Districts
- 3.
- Mr. Lansing read a memorandum from Mr. Ray Stannard Baker, in which the latter requested on behalf of himself and Mr. Sweetser, authorization to secure any confidential material necessary for making a summary of between 8 and 10,000 words of the clauses to be inserted into the Treaty of Peace. The Commissioners approved of having the necessary authorization issued both to Mr. Baker and Mr. Sweetser, feeling that it would be very advisable to have a brief summary of the Peace Treaty made in order that it might be cabled at the time of its release to the United States. Summary of Peace Treaty
- 4.
- Memorandum No. 235 was read regarding the American government’s taking any initiative with respect to permitting the Nobel Brothers Oil Company of Russia to sending [sic] shipments from the Bakou region into Soviet Russia. The Commissioners felt that inasmuch as the whole transportation problem of Russia was very intimately [Page 161] connected with the feeding problem of that same country, it would be most advisable to submit the whole dossier on this subject to Mr. Hoover with a request for the latter’s views in the premises. Transportation of Petroleum Products in Russia
- 5.
- Memorandum No. 236 was read with regard to the sending of a representative from the American Mission to Budapest, pending a report from Prof. Brown and Major Bonsai. The Commissioners agreed with the recommendation that no action be taken in this respect until the two last named gentlemen had been heard from. American Representative to Budapest
- 6.
- Memorandum No. 237 was read with regard to the disposition of letters and documents received by the Mission through the Department of State on the subject of the League of Nations. The Commissioners felt that inasmuch as these letters and documents had been sent on to the Mission and that therefore the Department of State could truthfully say that they had been referred to the American Commissioners, there was nothing further to be done with them but to pack them away in the files somewhere or to ship them back to the Department of State. Disposition Letters, Documents Regarding League of Nations