[Sailor Steve]

Friday, February 14, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE
Day 24

M Pichon's hotel suite, Quai d’Orsay, 15:30

President Wilson presents the First Draft of the plan for the League of Nations. After he reads the draft several members spend the next three hours making speeches giving their thoughts on the Draft.


M Pichon's hotel suite, Quai d’Orsay, 18:30

1. Mr Balfour apologizes for calling a meeting at such a late hour, but there are some points that he feels need to be decided before President Wilson's departure. The first of these is that the Military Advisors have told him that the only way to keep British troops on the Rhine supplied except by passage through Holland. While this only concerns Britain Mr Balfour feels that it would be best if agreed upon by all the Allied Powers. He wishes that those Powers press the urgency of this matter upon the Dutch.

Army commanders from each Power state their current state of affairs in this regard. It is decided that if the Dutch refuse to cooperate some means of pressure will be found to coerce them to allow British passage to the Rhine.

2. Mr Balfour's second point is the meeting with the various Russian governments at Prinkipo. Mr Winston Churchill has been invited to the Council Meeting to give the views of the British Cabinet on the subject. Mr Churchill says that British soldiers are dying in the Russian conflict, and the British people want to know if this is part of a vital war for freedom or just a holding action until the Council had made up their minds. If the latter then they desired that British troops in Russia should be brought home immediately. Further, if all the different Russian governments were going to meet at Prinkipo then it could be hoped that something might be accomplished. If only the Bolsheviks were going to show up he didn't see the purpose of having the meeting at all.

M Clemenceau says that a matter of this importance could not possibly be settled in a short impromptu meeting.

President Wilson expresses his opinion that Allied troops are doing no good in Russia at all. The don't know who or what they are fighting for and they are not helping bring order to the whole of Russia, but merely assisting local groups such as the Cossacks, who in their turn refuse to leave their own territories to assist other Russians in their struggle. For these reasons he believes that all Allied troops anywhere in Russia should be brought home immediately.

Mr Churchill agrees that bringing home all Allied troops is a logical and clear policy, but warns that doing so will result in the complete destruction of all non-Bolshevik armies in Russia.

President Wilson replies that the Allied forces now in Russia cannot stop the Bolsheviks, and not one Allied Power is willing to send more troops there.

Baron Sonnino asks whether the Allies could not continue supplying arms to non-Bolshevik forces.

President Wilson replies that those forces aren't fully utilizing the weapons the already have.

Mr Churchill agrees that more arms will not help, but sending specialists to advise and major weapons such as aeroplanes and tanks might be furnished.

President Wilson says that once these weapons are in the hands of Russian forces the Allies will have no control over their use. There for if asked exactly what they are supporting they will be required to answer "We don't know".

Mr Churchill asks whether the Council will agree to supplying arms to non-Bolshevik Russians if the Prinkipo meeting fails.

President Wilson replies that he has stated what he would do if he were acting alone, but since he is not he will cast his lot with the rest when a decision is arrived at.

At this point the meeting is adjourned.