Paris Peace Conf. 184.6/72
The Secretary General of the Commission to Negotiate Peace (Grew) to the American Secretaries of the Commissions and Committees on the Peace Conference
[Paris,] February 19, 1919.
Subject: Procedure.
In order that the work of the American representatives on the various commissions and committees of the Peace Conference may be coordinated and the proceedings made readily available to the Commissioners, it is requested that the following procedure be carefully observed by the American secretaries of these commissions:—
- 1.
- As regards the meetings themselves:—
- (a)
- Immediately after each meeting it should be decided by the secretaries of the different powers represented whether a communique is to be given out to the press, and if so, this communique should be drawn up identically in English and French, compared and approved. A copy of this communique in English should then be placed by the American secretary, at the earliest possible moment, in the hands of Mr. Sweetser, Acting Chief of the Commission’s Press Bureau, 4 Place de la Concorde, to be given to the American newspaper representatives as nearly as possible at the same moment that it is given to the French and other newspaper men.
- (b)
- The American secretary should then draw up a short statement of proceedings of the meeting and of any resolutions adopted and should submit this statement, as soon as possible, to Mr. Huddle, Room 302, Hotel Crillon, to be embodied in the Commission’s Confidential Bulletin for the information of the Commissioners.
- (c)
- The proces-verbal of the meeting should be drawn up in collaboration with the secretaries of other powers represented, both in English and French, compared, approved and distributed to the delegates of the various powers represented. This distribution is usually left to the Secretary-General of the commission in question, but it should be clearly understood that he will distribute the English and French versions simultaneously.
- 2.
- As regards the Commission:—
- A central office under Mr. Huddle, Room No. 302, telephone Crillon
55, has been established at the Hotel Crillon with a view to
centralizing all information in regard to the commissions and
committees of the Peace Conference. The following information should
be furnished Mr. Huddle as promptly as possible:—
- (a)
- The date and hour of every meeting as soon as such meeting has been called. Mr. Huddle should also be furnished with a complete calendar of all meetings held up to the present date.
- (b)
- Any change of personnel of the commissions or committees, or other matters of an unusual nature.
- (c)
- Copies of (1) the press communiques; (2) confidential statement of proceedings for the Commissioners; and (3) the final proces-verbaux.
- (d)
- It is furthermore important that the Secretary General of the American Commission be apprised from time to time as to the expected time for the completion of the work of the Commission or Committee, and when the final report may be expected. He should also be furnished, if possible, with an advance provisional copy or draft of the final report immediately upon its completion.
- (e)
- The residence addresses of all secretaries, with telephone numbers, in case it should be desirable to get in touch with them at night or on Sundays.
- (f)
- Mr. Huddle, on his part, will immediately, upon receiving any notice from the General Secretariat, of the calling of a meeting, notify the Secretary of the commission in question, and it shall be the duty of that Secretary to notify the American members of that commission.
J. C. Grew