Office of the Historian

Paris Peace Conf. 184.00101/58

Minutes of the Daily Meetings of the Commissioners Plenipotentiary, Saturday, April 26, 1919

April 26, 1919
  • Present:
    • Mr. Lansing
    • Mr. White
    • General Bliss
    • Mr. Herter
1.
Memorandum No. 244 was read with regard to the Department of State acting as an intermediary for messages between the Archangel Government and the Omsk Government. The Commissioners felt that merely because of the fact that State Department had at the request of Ambassador Francis sent a message from the Archangel Government to the Omsk authorities some time ago, there was no reason why it should continue doing this. They therefore requested that the State Department be informed that they were still of the opinion expressed in their telegram of April 18, 1919, and that they still believe that it would be unwise for the State Department to act on behalf of either of the Governments in question as suggested. Communication Between Archangel & Omsk Gov’t.
2.
A memorandum was read in which Mr. Henry Churchill King and Mr. Charles R. Crane suggested the appointments of certain individuals to accompany the American Commissioners on the Inter-Allied Commission on Mandates in Turkey. The Commissioners approved of the appointments of the individuals mentioned in the memorandum in question … Commission to Turkey
3.
A memorandum was read in which Prof. Westermann submitted certain general clauses in regard to Mandates which he believed should be embodied in the Treaty of Peace, and in which he suggested that an American Commission be formed to consider this whole question. The Commissioners themselves approved both of Prof. Westermann’s suggestions, but requested that owing to the importance of this matter, a letter be written to the President telling him that in the opinion of the Commissioners, the whole question of Mandates required extremely careful consideration, and requesting his opinion as to whether an American Commission should not immediately be formed to consider this matter, and that if possible, this Commission be broadened as soon as possible into an Inter-Allied Commission for the same purpose. General Clauses Regarding Mandates by Dr. Westermann
4.
A memorandum was read quoting the text of two telegrams sent by Mr. Hoover to the representatives of the Food Administration in [Page 166] Vienna and Hamburg respectively, regarding the shipment of food into Hungary and Germany. The Commissioners noted these telegrams with great interest, but did not believe it would be necessary to request Mr. Hoover to submit telegrams of such political importance to them for approval in future. Shipment of Food to Hungary and Germany
5.
A memorandum was read inquiring whether certain reports which Mr. Norman Davis had received from the French Minister of Industrial Reconstruction respecting the visits made by the French and British Commissions to German Chemical Works in the zone of occupation should be handed to Mr. Bradley Palmer for the information of the Alien Property Custodian, and to Mr. Wigglesworth for the Department of Commerce. The Commissioners agreed that the Alien Property Custodian and the Department of Commerce should certainly be allowed to receive any information which the French or British had received and had courteously vouchsafed to us. The Commissioners noted with particular interest the fact that the data in question had been collected by the British and French Commissioners during the month of February at the time when the American Commission was endeavoring in vain to find out what was being done along these lines. Reports From Commission To Visit German Chemical Works
6.
Memorandum No. 247 was read quoting a telegram from Prof. Coolidge to the effect that he had permitted Prof. Brown to return to Budapest instead of reporting to Paris. The Commissioners felt that there was no need to take any action on this memorandum. Information Regarding Prof. Brown
7.
Mr. Herter brought up the question suggested by Mr. Bullitt and the Commissioners requested information as to the instructions which had been given to Mr. Morris in Stockholm by the Department of State in regard to the release of American prisoners in Russia before coming to any decision with regard to Captain Pettit. Regarding American Prisoners in Russia