[Sailor Steve]

Friday, March 7, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE
Day 38

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


1. M Clemenceau opens the meeting with the announcement that the Report of Belgian Commission on the Treaties of 1839 has been received. There had been several questions involving this old treaty and its influence on current discussions and negotiations. It iss decided that this should be circulated among the Council members.


2. Lord Robert Cecil informs the council that Admiral Hope has returned from Spa to verify that the information is true; negotiations over the surrender of German merchant ships has broken down entirely. The Germans refuse to hand over the ships until a finalized program of food deliveries has been arranged. The German delegates say they are willing to hand over a certain number of ships in exchange for an equal percentage of food deliveries, and to continue in that fashion until all the promised food has been delivered and all the ships handed over.

Earlier in the day the Supreme Economic Council had met, concluding that Germany handing over the merchant ships was part of the Armistice agreement, but then so was the food to be supplied by the Allies. Lord Cecil says that the British and American delegates are already agreed on this, but the French and Italian delegates would like to see this in writing before agreeing to it. He recommends a day's delay for the Supreme Economic Council to finalize its proposals.

M Clemenceau asks Lord Cecil if he can give an outline of the proposed resolutions. Lord Cecil replies that the Council had only broken up at 14:15 so it was impossible to deliver the texts yet. The first clause is that Germany must surrender the ships. The second clause is that the Allies will supply 270,000 tons of food as soon as Germany shows some sign that they will actually comply with the Armistice terms. A third clause, covering the final arrangements for supplying food to Germany, has not yet been concluded, and until it is the French and Italian delegates say they need to consult their own governments before they can commit to it.

This discussion is postponed until the following day.


3. Mr Lansing proposes the creation of a Commission to investigate the question of German-owned underwater telegraph cables, specifically whether a Nation which has captured such cables has the legal right to keep them as reparations. Mr Balfour says his only objection is the use of words "legal" and "legally" in this context, since there is no International Law yet in place which covers this question. Mr Lansing agrees to alter the text to eliminate the use of the word "legally".

Baron Makino asks whether, if it is decided that it is not legitimate to keep the cables, should they be returned to Germany? M Clemenceau replies that this decision is the responsibility of the Council. Baron Sonnino says the text refers specifically to cables which were cut or captured during the war due to Naval operations. Mr Lansing says that unless the cables were taken from the enemy they cannot be returned.

The proposal is accepted with the changes, specifically the elimination of the word "legally", and the members are appointed by their countries.


4. Mr Lansing invites Mr Hoover to make a statement about the supply of food to Austria and the Italian blockade of Lubiana. There follows a lengthy discussion on this subject, with many members offering opinions on the question.

Finally the question has to be postponed and the meeting is adjourned.


Note: The junior member of the Japanese Military Representation is one Captain Isoroku Yamamoto. One of the American negotiators for the Military discussions is future President Herbert Hoover.