Paris Peace Conf. 184.82/3

The Chief of the Press Bureau ( Baker ) to the Secretary of the Commission to Negotiate Peace ( Grew )

Subject: An interview of British newspaper correspondents with the members of the Commission.

1.
Mr. George Adam, the Paris correspondent of the London Times, was in to see me today to talk over the relationship of the British correspondents to the American Commission. The same subject has been broached by other British correspondents. They are very desirous of some opportunity for meeting the Commissioners. They do not ask to come in with the American correspondents at the morning sessions, but suggest an opportunity once or twice in the week of meeting the Commissioners. There will be from half a dozen to ten.
2.
I would suggest that the Commission receive, at least once, sometime this week, the British correspondents, immediately following a morning meeting with the American correspondents. Mr. Adam says that the British Press Association will nominate the men and that they will all be noteworthy correspondents.
3.
I have made inquiries in regard to what the British practice will be. Mr. Adam says it is the intention of the news department of the British Commission to treat all correspondents alike, extending no [Page 217] special facilities to the British correspondents. But it is not intended that any correspondent shall directly meet members of the Commission. Sir George Riddell, assisted by Mr. Mair, will be here on behalf of the British Commission and will see correspondents. Access even for British correspondents to the British Commissioners can only be had by special appointment.
4.
Whether the American Commission should receive the British correspondents regularly unless the British Commissioners will extend similar privileges to the American correspondents, is a subject open to question. I believe, however, that it would be not only an act of courtesy, but an expression of the democratic American approach to this whole situation if the Commission would receive the British correspondents at least once, and let them present their own case.
Ray Stannard Baker