100 Years Ago Today

[Jimbuna]

2nd December 1919

Royal procession arrives in Montecitorio, Rome for the opening ceremony of the Italian Parliament.


Canadian theatre magnate Ambrose Small disappears from his office after selling his theaters for $1.7 million. The money went untouched and the case remains unsolved.


Henry Clay Frick, industrialist who was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, has passed away.


Imperial Japanese naval genius Isoroku Yamamoto, the proponent of the Pearl Habor attack against the United States, is promoted to Commander.

[Sailor Steve]

Tuesday, December 2, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE

M Pichon’s Room, Quai d’Orsay, Paris, 10:30

Meeting of the Heads of Delegations of the Five Great Powers.


...

[Jimbuna]

3rd December 1919

Aftermath of War

Lord Milner's Mission arrives in Egypt.

French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir has passed away.

[Sailor Steve]

Wednesday, December 3, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE

M Pichon’s Room, Quai d’Orsay, Paris, 10:30

Meeting of the Heads of Delegations of the Five Great Powers.


...

[Armistead]

See some WW1 history. Posted earlier about the WW2 guy, have many of his letters, some even as a German POW, but while looking for his stuff in the old house I lucked up and found about a 100 WW1 letters, read a few and some great reading. Most are marked YMCA , but some other variations. Also cool was like a post card the man had arrived safely overseas. V1.jpg

[Jimbuna]

4th December 1919

The French Opera House in New Orleans, one of the city’s landmarks, is destroyed by fire.


A Romanian soldier leads a drove of cattle that was taken by Austria-Hungary during the war but was recaptured when Romania invaded Hungary this year.

[Sailor Steve]

Thursday, December 4, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE

M Pichon’s Room, Quai d’Orsay, Paris, 10:30

Meeting of the Heads of Delegations of the Five Great Powers.


1. M Leygues says that he is in receipt of a number of telegrams from the French Naval Officer in charge of the ex-Austro-Hungarian warships at Cattaro, which referred to a state of excitement prevailing among Hungarians and Yugoslavs at that place. He thinks that the situation of the enemy warships in that port is rather precarious. The enemy fleet there is composed of approximately 40 units of which 6 or 8 are important. He feels that an incident similar to that of Scapa Flow should not be repeated in any event. He adds that Cattaro is a difficult port to supervise on account of its geographical situation, and he was of the opinion that the security of those enemy warships would be far greater in a French port such as Bizerte. He therefore proposes that the enemy warships at Cattaro should be convoyed to a French port, where they will of course remain at the disposal of the Conference and their definite attribution will not be prejudiced in any way thereby. Secondly, he proposes that the naval forces of the other Allied and Associated Powers should help the French Navy in the convoying of those vessels from Cattaro to a French port such as Bizerte, which is a long and difficult process.

M Clemenceau asks whether warships which are being guarded by the Italian Navy happen to be in Italian ports.

M.
Leygues replies that there are such ships at Pola and some in Venice.

Sir Eyre Crowe says he accepts the French proposal in principle but will, of course, have to refer to the Admiralty the question of helping the French navy in the convoy of those warships.

Mr Polk says there were also two Austrian warships at Spalato under guard of the American Navy.

Sir Eyre Crowe asked whether those ships could not be taken out at the same time as the ships at Cattaro.

Mr Polk replies they are quite willing to have those ships taken out and sent anywhere but American ports.

M Leygues suggests that the question of convoy should be referred back to the Inter-Allied Naval Commission.

Mr Polk says there is a doubt in the minds of the naval authorities regarding the authority of the United States over the enemy warships at Spalato. There had been a decision by the Board of Admirals, but no definite mandate from the Conference had been received for those ships. He inquires whether the French position is the same.

M Leygues replies it is the Inter-Allied Armistice Commission which had given its decision in the matter and therefore the situation is the same for America and France.

(It is decided:

(1) To adopt the French proposal that the ex-Austro-Hungarian warships at Cattaro should be convoyed to a French port, preferably Bizerte;

(2) To refer to the Inter-Allied Naval Commission for examination and report the question of aid to be given the French navy by the other Allied and Associated navies in the convoy of ex-Austro-Hungarian warships from Cattaro to a French port.


2. M Leygues says that a letter from the Polish Delegation has been communicated to him asking that enemy warships be allotted to Poland. That request brings up once more a recent decision of the Council to the effect that no enemy warships would be attributed to small Powers. He thinks it advisable for the Council to examine their decision anew. As a matter of fact, Belgium has in her possession from ten to fifteen enemy warships among which were some German torpedo boats which had been found at Antwerp and others which had escaped to Holland and been returned to Belgium. She had asked to be allowed to keep those warships for the reason that she needed them badly in view of the extended coast line. He was of the opinion that it would be extremely difficult to ask Belgium to return those ships and that such a procedure would certainly hurt the national feeling. Under those circumstances it seemed all the more difficult to refuse the requests for enemy warships of other small Powers, among which some, as Poland for instance, had been created from nothing and therefore relied on the Conference for assistance. Among the German warships were torpedo boats and destroyers of relatively small fighting value which nobody wanted; would it not be possible to give a certain number of ships selected among those to be destroyed, provided they were used for purposes of policing the coast, fisheries, prevention of smuggling, etc. He calls the attention of the Council to the fact that in the Treaty of Peace with Bulgaria that State had been allowed, under Article 83, to keep a certain number of warships for police and fishery duties, and for that reason it seemed difficult to refuse the claim made by small Allied Powers when a similar one had been granted to an enemy State.

Sir Eyre Crowe says that he can agree at once with M Leygues’ proposal. The British Admiralty has always maintained that a certain number of smaller ships could be allotted to small States for police duties.

Mr Polk says he wishes to inquire whether there will be a distribution of those smaller vessels among all the other small Powers, or whether that distribution should apply only to Poland and Belgium.

M Leygues thinks that such attribution could be made to all the smaller Powers having an outlet to the Sea, but in practice the question is only of particular interest to Poland and Yugoslavia, not to speak of Belgium.

S Scialoja agrees with the French proposal provided that only smaller boats be attributed for strictly police purposes as in the case of Bulgaria.

Mr Polk also agrees provided all the smaller States get them.

(It was decided:

(1) To allow Belgium to keep the small enemy warships held in her ports provided such ships be used only for police work;

(2) To give a certain number of small enemy warships, selected from among those to be broken up by the Allied and Asssociated Powers, to all the Allied States with limited interests making a request for such vessels, provided such ships be used solely for police work;

(3) To refer to the naval experts for examination and report the questions raised by the above paragraph 2.)

(The meeting then adjourns.)

[Jimbuna]

5th December 1919

Aftermath of War

The Turkish Ministry of War releases Greeks, Armenians and Jews from military service.

Loening aircraft, at Anacostia neighborhood, Washington, D.C.


Ship Losses:

C-1 (Finnish Navy) Russian Civil War: The torpedo boat was crushed by ice and sank between Koivisto and Helsinki.
C-2 (Finnish Navy) Russian Civil War: The torpedo boat was crushed by ice and sank between Koivisto and Helsinki.
C-3 (Finnish Navy) Russian Civil War: The torpedo boat was crushed by ice and sank between Koivisto and Helsinki.
Frigga (Sweden) The wooden barque, en route from North Shields, sank after striking a mine in Kattegat. The master and seven crew died, only two of the crew survived.

[Sailor Steve]

Friday, December 5, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE

M Pichon’s Room, Quai d’Orsay, Paris, 10:30

Meeting of the Heads of Delegations of the Five Great Powers.


...

[Jimbuna]

6th December 1919

SCADTA (today Avianca) is founded in Colombia. It is the oldest extant airline in the Western hemisphere and 2nd oldest in the world after KLM.


Postcard, written at bottom: “The Knights of Columbus Excursion to the great Daibutsu at Kamakura Japan. Dec. 6 - 1919. In Compliment to the U.S.S. South Dakota.”

[Sailor Steve]

Saturday, December 6, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE

M Pichon’s Room, Quai d’Orsay, Paris, 10:30

Meeting of the Heads of Delegations of the Five Great Powers.


1. The Council has before it five resolutions passed at meetings of the Supreme Economic Council in Rome. These relate to: (a) Austria, (b) Danger of Non-ratification, (c) Armenia, (d) Russia, (e) Oil Tankers.

M Loucheur reads and comments upon the resolutions. He adds with regard to the question of provisioning of Austria the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission had examined at a meeting held on the preceding day the question of provisioning Austria and they are waiting for a reply from the Italian Government with reference to the sending of 12,000 tons of cereals to Vienna from Trieste following an agreement made between Italy and Austria. He had also seen Mr Austen Chamberlain in London; the British and French Governments are willing to do their utmost to help until the credit opened for the provisioning of Austria had been exhausted. With regard to the situation of the Armenian refugees in the Caucasus, the Supreme Economic Council wishes to bring the attention of the Supreme Council to the great importance of providing for the provisioning of those refugees and he understands that the Armenians have applied to the American Delegation directly. He wishes to ask Mr Polk what can be done in the matter.

Colonel Logan states that a telegram from Mr Hoover had been received to the effect that an arrangement had been entered into with the Grain Corporation to supply 35,000 tons of cereals on credit to Armenia, to be distributed under Colonel Haskell’s supervision. Furthermore, the American Red Cross had given 1,700,000 dollars for relief purposes.

M Loucheur says that with regard to the Russian question, he is of the opinion that it would be advisable to await a solution of the Russian problem before taking any action in the matter.

Mr Polk says that he has just received a proposal from the American Government on the question of the tank ships which Mr Dresel will submit to the French and British Delegations. He wishes to put on record that the United States are not now represented on the Supreme Economic Council.

(The Council takes note of the resolutions passed by the Supreme Economic Council at Rome and of M Loucheur’s declarations on the subject.)


2. The Council has before it a letter from the President of the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission to the President of the Peace Conference, dated November 27th, 1919, to which are attached a memorandum by the American Delegation, two notes from the French Delegation, and a list of products prohibited from importation into Germany, for which the French Government asks that free entry into Germany be allowed.

Colonel Logan reads and comments upon the memorandum presented by the American Delegation to the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission, dated November 8th, 1919.

M Loucheur says that the German Delegation has proposed that the German Government be allowed to establish the customs duties in gold marks, more exactly in paper marks, taking the rate of exchange into account. He is of the opinion that at the present time no reply should be made to Germany before the exchange of deposit of ratifications and the signing of the Protocol. On the other hand, a very important question has come up in which France and Great Britain are especially interested: Germany has edicted a series of import prohibitions; it cannot be contested that this is her right, but she should not be allowed to evade the provisions of the Treaty in order to treat the Allies in different ways. He therefore suggests that a solution be adjourned until Germany has signed the Protocol and the deposit of ratifications had taken place. In the second place, the right of prohibiting imports should be connected with the whole question of the payment of customs duties.

Mr Polk says that, with reference to the memorandum of the American representative on the Reparation Commission, the difficulty is that for some time past Germany has been applying two principles in the payment of German customs duties: in ports she had applied a gold basis, but on her land frontiers payment was being made in paper. This is a discrimination in favor of the countries which were importing by land as against those importing by sea.

Colonel Logan says that France and Belgium are paying one-ninth of the import duties that Great Britain and America paid on a gold basis.

M Loucheur remarks that such a fact had never been brought to his attention nor, as far as he is aware, to the notice of the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission.

Mr Polk says that Sir John Bradbury and Mr Rathbone had both raised the question.

M Loucheur says everybody agrees that there should be no different treatment between the Allies and that payment of customs duties should be made in gold. He insists on what he had said before, that no answer should be made to Germany at the present time and that the question of import prohibitions should be settled at the same time.

Mr Polk suggests that the questions be referred back to the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission for consideration. The questions are covered by Article 269 of the Treaty of Peace with Germany.

M Loucheur says he does not agree: the provisions of the Treaty are that customs duties should not be changed during a certain lapse of time, but payment on a gold basis would entail an increase of customs duties.

S Scialoja thinks that it would be advisable to consult the Economic Commission, as the questions are not entirely within the province of the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission.

M Loucheur remarks that there is no longer an Economic Commission and that on the other hand the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission had consulted the economic experts.

Mr Matsui agrees with S Scialoja, and said that he had some time ago, when the Treaty with Germany was being prepared, proposed a clause which would have prevented Germany from prohibiting any importations. Such a clause had not been accepted, but nevertheless he is of the opinion that the economic experts should be heard.

M Loucheur says that up to that time they had never referred to Commissions which were charged with the preparation of the Treaty, questions of execution of the Treaty; he proposes that representatives of the Allied and Associated Powers on the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission should study the questions in accord with economic experts, and Japan will have an opportunity to be heard.

Mr Polk wishes to propose the following resolution: that the questions be referred back to the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission with instructions to take the necessary action without delay and further to decide itself such questions in the future.

M Loucheur thinks that the question is important and should be referred back to the Supreme Council by the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission.

Mr Polk asks why this question should come back to the Supreme Council.

M Clemenceau replies that it is a question involving other matters of political importance and that although he agrees in principle with Mr Polk’s proposition, he is of the opinion that the questions should still be referred back to the Supreme Council without delay, and that at any rate no action should be taken before the Germans have signed the protocol and the deposit of ratifications had taken place.

(It was decided:

(1) To refer back to the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission in accord with economic experts both the question of payment of German customs duties on a gold mark basis, and the import prohibition by Germany;

(2) That the Committee on Organization of the Reparation Commission submit immediately a report to the Council;

(3) That no reply be given to Germany until she had signed the protocol and the Treaty of Peace had come into force.


3. M Berthelot says they have received a letter from Bucharest dated November 30th which relates to an incident which had taken place in the past, but which is of a certain importance. Before withdrawing, the Government of Mr Misu and General Vaitoianu had tried to put a negative answer before the Powers; but the Allied representatives had evaded such a maneuver on the part of the Liberals party.

Telegrams sent from Bucharest between December 2nd and 4th gave the following information: Mr Vaida-Voevod, before seeing the King of Romania, had had a conference with the Allied representatives, the result of which was that as regards requisitions in Hungary Vaida-Voevod would be ready to accept the appointment of an Inter-Allied mixed Commission as proposed but maintained that it would be impossible that such a Commission should have the power to inflict penalties; on the other hand, the Romanian army would withdraw to the boundaries fixed by the Peace Conference. He would take note of the assurances given by the Supreme Council, and expressed his conviction that the Council would be able to find a solution satisfactory to Romania. It had been feared for some time that the King would call to power Mr Maniu, but in the morning of December 3rd M. Maniu had refused, and Mr Vaida-Voevod had been asked to form a cabinet. Thereupon M Vaida-Voevod had consulted all the political leaders with the exception of the Liberals, and had concluded from his consultation that they would be in favour of the signature by Romania; he had authorized the Allied representatives at Bucharest to telegraph to Paris that the majority of the parties were in favor of Romania's signature and promised to sign if the King accepted the Cabinet.

Mr Antonescu, furthermore, is about to arrive in Bucharest; under those conditions one could well hope that a satisfactory telegram will be received from Romania within the time limit laid down by the Council.

(The meeting then adjourns).

(The Heads of Delegations then held a conference in private.)

[Jimbuna]

7th December 1919

Allied troops taking part in the Siberian Intervention march in Vladivostok, Russia.


"Bulgaria, whose borders have been definitively fixed by the terms of the Treaty of Peace signed on November 27th."

[Sailor Steve]

Sunday, December 7, 1919

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE

There are no meetings today.

[JU_88]

Not much peace in Paris at the moment I hear.....

[Jimbuna]

8th December 1919

Julio Acosta Garcia is elected the new President of Costa Rica after winning 89.3% of the vote.


Ship Losses:

Acushla (United States) The 24-gross register ton, 44-foot (13.4 m) fishing vessel was destroyed by fire in Peans Hole (55°13′N 133°32′W) in Bucareli Bay in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska. All six people on board survived.