Paris Peace Conf. 184.001101/16

Minutes of Meeting of the Steering Committee, July 26, 1919, at 2 p.m.

  • Present:
    • Dr. James Brown Scott
    • Mr. Leland Harrison
    • Col. U. S. Grant
    • Prof. Douglas Johnson
    • Mr. J. F. Dulles
    • Mr. A. W. Dulles (Secretary)
1.
Mr. Harrison reported a statement by Mr. Balfour that he expected that the Bulgarian Treaty could be finished up by August 10.
2.
Dr. Scott stated that he felt that the Steering Committee had largely finished the work for which it had originally been formed, and suggested that in the future meetings should be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, at the same time—2 P.M.—rather than daily. The Committee unanimously accepted Dr. Scott’s suggestion with the amendment that the Chairman should call special meetings at any time it might seem advisable to him.
3.
Dr. Johnson reported that he had taken up the questions regarding the Balkans and Turkey which had been referred to the Committee consisting of Prof. Coolidge, Mr. Buckler and himself and he was able to report that the majority of the questions had already been answered or, where necessary, had already been referred to the President and the Department of State for decision.
4.
The Committee discussed the situation with regard to The Dobrudja and Bessarabia. Dr. Johnson suggested that the two questions might be taken up with Roumania at the same time with the suggestion that Roumania’s aspiration in Bessarabia might be satisfied in case she would consent to certain concessions in The Dobrudja.
5.
Mr. Dulles called the attention of the meeting to a question he had raised at yesterday’s meeting regarding communicating the Bulgarian Treaty to the small States directly interested—Servia, Roumania and Greece—previous to handing it to the Bulgarians. The [Page 471] Committee unanimously approved of Mr. Dulles’s suggestion that it was advisable to take such action and deemed that Mr. Dulles’s proposal, that the various Committees should ask the representatives of these States to meet with them, was the most feasible way of communicating the various parts of the Treaty. Mr. Harrison suggested that it might be desirable to suggest to Mr. White the advisability of bringing up the matter at the afternoon meeting of the Council.
6.
Mr. Dulles reported that instructions had been received from the President that the United States was not to be represented on the Bulgarian Reparations Commission.
7.
Dr. Scott reported that it was the desire of the Commissioners that the United States should not be represented on the Commission dealing with Bulgarian prisoner questions. The Committee agreed that in view of the Commissioners’ desire it would be well for Dr. Scott to take this matter up at an early meeting of the Drafting Committee and cause the wording of the Treaty to be revised accordingly.
8.
Mr. A. W. Dulles reported that Mr. Polk was expected to arrive in Paris on Tuesday and inquired whether the Committee had any further suggestions to make regarding preparations for his arrival. Mr. Dulles added that Mr. Grew desired an expression of opinion from the Committee whether any notification to the French authorities seemed neceessary in addition to the letter which he had already addressed to Mr. Dutasta. The Committee felt that it would be quite proper to enquire of Mr. White whether he thought it best to make a short statement in the Supreme Council regarding Mr. Polk’s arrival.

The meeting adjourned at 2:30 P.M.