Paris Peace Conf. 811.001/195
Mr. A. W. Dulles to the Secretary General of the Commission to Negotiate Peace (Grew)
At the meeting of the Commissioners this morning, Mr. White read a telegram which had been received from the naval authorities regarding the proposal that the President land at Antwerp.25 This telegram mentioned that while the mine fields in the English channel were largely cleared up, there was still some danger from mines, and that the navigation of the Scheldt was as yet very difficult for a vessel of the size of the “George Washington”. The naval authorities recommended that if the President made the trip as contemplated, he should land at Flushing and proceed by destroyer to Antwerp. The Commissioners were unanimous in the decision that they could not assume the responsibility for advising the President to take a trip which involved an element of danger. Mr. Lansing pointed out that it would be out of the question to touch at Flushing, which was Dutch territory.
- Not printed.↩