5. The Commission will have its principal permanent Bureau in Paris and will hold its first meeting in Paris as soon as practicable after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and thereafter will meet in such place or places and at such time as it may deem convenient and as may be necessary for the most expeditious discharge of its duties. 6. At its first meeting the Commission shall elect, from among the Delegates referred to above, a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, who shall hold office for one year and shall be eligible for re-election. If a vacancy in the Chairmanship or Vice-Chairmanship should occur during the annual period, the Commission shall proceed to a new election for the remainder of the said period. Note to VIII, Annex II (6) Article 437 provides that the chairman of any commission is entitled to a second vote in the event of an equality of votes. The Reparation Commission sat at Paris, and the customary diplomatic courtesy gave the French delegate the chairmanship of the Organization Committee of the Reparation Commission. After the treaty entered into force, the chairmanship continued with the French delegate. No change was made in this arrangement after the Spa agreement on July 16, 1920 fixed the French percentage of reparation as 52 percent of the receipts. By paragraph 2 of annex II, the commission was composed of delegates of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy who had the right to participate and vote in all proceedings. Delegates named by Japan, Belgium, and the Serb-Croat-Slovene State voted when matters concerning them were under consideration. Other states appointed delegate assessors who participated in discussions without vote. Belgium, as it happened, was concerned in every crucial question which came before the commission for decision. At such times then, the commission consisted of the representatives of France, Great Britain, Italy, and Belgium, and the French chairman could cast a second vote in the absence of a voting representative of the United States. So, when the commission was often split 2 to 2, France with its casting vote turned the balance in its own favor. 7. The Commission is authorised to appoint all necessary officers, agents and employees who may be required for the execution of its functions, and to fix their remuneration; to constitute committees, whose members need not necessarily be members of the Commission, and to take all executive steps necessary for the purpose of discharging its duties; and to delegate authority and discretion to officers, agents and committees. Note to VIII, Annex II (7) The Reparation Commission delegated part of its authority to the Permanent Managing Committee, composed of the assistant delegates and, as occasion arose, of the American Citizen Delegate provided for by annex II, paragraph 2A, above. The American acted as chairman. The committee held 73 sessions from February 9, 1925 to May 28, 1926. The Permanent Managing Committee was created by decisions of the Reparation Commission of November 4, 1924 and January 31, 1925. It was given "authority and full power to direct in the name of the commission all current business", with reservation to the Reparation Commission of decisions in virtue of article 234, interpretation of part VIII, or of the agreements of July 16, 1920, March 11, 1922, or January 14, 1925, decisions as to default or upon general principles and the appointment of the American Citizen Delegate (file 462.00 R 29/3842). For the powers of the Committee of Guarantees appointed under this provision see this annex, paragraph 12A (d) below. For some account of its work see article 234. 8. All proceedings of the Commission shall be private, unless, on particular occasions, the Commission shall otherwise determine for special reasons. 9. The Commission shall be required, if the German Government so desire, to hear, within a period which it will fix from time to time, evidence and arguments on the part of Germany on any question connected with her capacity to pay. 10. The Commission shall consider the claims and give to the German Government a just opportunity to be heard, but not to take any part whatever in the decisions of the Commission. The Commission shall afford a similar opportunity to the allies of Germany, when it shall consider that their interests are in question. Note to VIII, Annex II (10) CLAIMS AGAINST GERMANY Submitted to the Reparation Commission up to February 12, 1921, (Arrangement of original modified) |