Paris Peace Conf. 184.001101/10

Minutes of Meeting of the Steering Committee, July 18, 1919, at 2 p.m.

  • Present:
    • Dr. James Brown Scott
    • Colonel U. S. Grant
    • Professor Johnson
    • Mr. Leland Harrison
    • Mr. J. F. Dulles
    • Mr. A. W. Dulles (Secretary)
[Page 461]

1. Doctor Scott reported that the French Secretariat General had requested the Drafting Committee to insert a clause in the Austrian Treaty prohibiting the fortification of the territory granted Czecho-Slovakia south of Pressburg. The Drafting Committee had received no instructions in this regard from the Supreme Council and therefore hesitated to take action. Mr. A. W. Dulles stated that as the territory concerned was taken from Hungary and not from Austria it appeared more appropriate to provide against its fortification in the treaty with Hungary rather than in the Austrian treaty. The Supreme Council had as a matter of fact approved the report of the Committee which provided for the cession of this territory to Czecho-Slovakia under the condition that it should not be fortified.

Doctor Johnson inquired what precautions were taken to prevent clauses being slipped into the Austrian Treaty without the approval of the Supreme Council Doctor Scott replied that each delegate on the Drafting Committee was personally responsible in any case where there was the slightest doubt, such as the above instance, to inquire of his delegation before accepting it in the treaty.

2. Doctor Scott reported to Doctor Johnson that all slight alterations in the territorial clauses of the Austrian Treaty which he had indicated had been incorporated in the final proof by the Drafting Committee with two exceptions which Doctor Scott mentioned and to which no exception was taken.

3. It was noted that a number of Committees had finished their reports on sections of Bulgarian Treaty but that the Supreme Council had not considered these reports. Mr. A. W. Dulles was instructed to prepare a report for the Commissioners with a view to having these matters presented to the Supreme Council at the earliest possible moment in case the Commissioners approved.

4. Mr. J. F. Dulles inquired regarding point 3 of the minutes of the meeting of July 7 [17] concerning the attitude of the British Delegation on the United States’ being a signatory to the Treaty with Bulgaria which had been discussed in his absence. He stated that while in his opinion a certain group of the British delegation took this attitude there was another group which desired American participation and he cited the instance of the British representative on the Reparations Commission,

5. Mr. A. W. Dulles read the summary of the state of preparation of the Bulgarian Treaty which was approved with certain corrections and he was instructed to circulate it to the Commissioners, for distribution to the other persons interested, in case the Commissioners approved.

6. It was recommended that the Commissioners request the Supreme Council to have prepared a list of all countries technically and legally at war with Bulgaria.

The meeting adjourned at 2:45 P.M.