[Sailor Steve]

Saturday, February 15, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE
Day 25

M Pichon's hotel suite, Quai d’Orsay, 15:00

Mr Churchill continues where he had left off the previous evening. More than a month has passed and still no policy decision on the Allied Forces in Russia has been reached. At the same time conditions in Russia are deteriorating rapidly. The British Government feels that a decision on the Prinkipo Conference must be reached immediately. Either all the Russian Governments must be present at that Conference and allowed to negotiate freely or the Allied Forces must be withdrawn and Russia left to her own devises.

The Bolshevik Government has offered to discuss terms for repayment of loans taken by Russia from the Allies. Mr Churchill makes it clear that this is not the object for Allied interference in Russia. The sole desire is for peace in that country. The Bolsheviks have accepted the invitation to Prinkipo (or Prince's Island, as Mr Churchill calls it), but at the same time they are attacking the non-Bolshevik Russians on several fronts. February 25th is set as the date by which all Bolshevik attacks must cease or the Prinkipo Conference will be cancelled. If the Bolsheviks have ceased all attacks and withdrawn their forces by the 20th then the Allies will give the same ultimatum to the non-Bolshevik forces.

Mr Churchill also proposes setting up an Allied Council on Russian Affairs. This Council will draw up plans for war against the Bolsheviks if they do not cease their attacks on Allied and friendly forces.

Mr Lansing, speaking for President Wilson, says that with a few minor textual changes this proposal is satisfactory to the United States. M Clemenceau says he is not in favor of leaving Russia to her own devices, as she would quickly fall prey to the Germans.

At this very moment it is announced that a telegram has been received saying the Germans have begun attacking Poland on several fronts. It would appear that when they met Marshal Foch to discuss the Polish situation the Germans wanted to be able to argue from a point of being already in possession of the Polish lands they desired. Several Delegates to the Council give the opinion that the Allies' best interest would be served by using this German tactic to persuade undecided Governments to join the side against Bolshevism.

Baron Sonnino opines that the Allies must get out of the Prinkipo proposal. Mr Churchill says the British Government has too much invested in the Prinkipo Conference and will oppose abandoning it at this point, unless it can be shown that the Conference was proposed in good faith and everything possible was done to make it work.

Mr Balfour says that several points of great difficulty have been raised, and proposes postponing further discussion until Monday the 17th. This is agreed to, and the meeting adjourned.