of peace with Hungary, the nationality of an Allied or Associated Power. ALPHAND H. ASHIDA FRED K. NIELSEN Amendment to Article 265 At the beginning of Article 265, to read: Questions concerning persons previously nationals of the former Paris Peace Conf. 180.03501/46 HD-46 Notes of a Meeting of the Heads of Delegations of the Five Great Powers Held in M. Pichon's Room at the Quai d'Orsay, Paris, on Wednesday, September 3, 1919, at 11 a. m. The following were also present for the items in which they were concerned : AMERICA, UNITED STATES OF The Hon. H. Gibson. Dr. Lord. Mr. A. Dulles. Mr. Nielsen. BRITISH EMPIRE Mr. A. Leeper. Mr. Carr. Col. Kisch. FRANCE M. Cambon. M. Serruys. General Le Rond. M. Cheysson. M. Hermite. M. Massigli. ITALY M. Brambilla. M. Ricci-Busatti. M. Nagara. 1. M. TITTONI said that before beginning the business of the day, he wished to draw attention to a matter of considerable importance. Evacuation of Albania Greek troops. The American Delegation had received news that on M. CLEMENCEAU said that he had not seen any report to that effect. Moreover, he did not think it likely that the information was correct. General Franchet d'Esperey had asked what he was to do after the evacuation. No orders had as yet been given. M. TITTONI said that it was very necessary to give orders that Greek troops should not occupy Koritza when the place was evacuated by the French. The Mussulman population was preparing partly to emigrate and partly to form armed bands to resist the Greeks. He understood that the French evacuation was imminent and whether or not the news to which he had alluded was correct, he thought the question should be examined. M. CLEMENCEAU said that French troops would certainly not stay in Koritza, but that on their departure it would be arranged that the place should not be occupied. MR. POLK said that the news he had received was merely a rumour. He had written to M. Clemenceau to inform him. M. PICHON said that the French Government agreed with M. Tittoni and had already informed the Greeks that they should not occupy Koritza. M. BERTHELOT observed that Pogradek was also to be evacuated. It was common agreement that both Koritza and Pogradek belonged to Albania. It was also an agreed policy that no occupation of contested territories should take place without an order from the Council. M. CLEMENCEAU asked that all documents on the subject be supplied to him in order that he should be able to give an opinion on the following day. MR. BALFOUR asked that a note on the subject be prepared as he had not been given any information. (The question was then adjourned to the following day.) 2. M. CLEMENCEAU said that on the previous day, Mr. Balfour had asked for an adjournment of 24 hours. He asked whether Mr. Balfour was able to give an opinion. Roumanian Affairs MR. BALFOUR said that he agreed with the policy of sending a representative of the Council to Bucharest. He no longer thought, however, that Admiral Troubridge would be the best representative, as he had very rightly taken strong action against the Roumanians. He thought a civilian representative would be better. The person selected should be ready to represent the views of the Council very strongly, but he should not have been previously identified with any controversial action. He begged to suggest M. Jonnart, who had carried out very difficult negotiations in Greece with conspicuous success. Should he agree to go, Mr. Balfour thought he would be the best possible representative. M. PICHON said that he was convinced that M. Jonnart would not accept the mission. He had resigned the Governorship of Algeria in order to take up the work of reconstructing the devastated districts. He would not be ready to abandon this work. M. TITTONI agreed that M. Jonnart would be an excellent appointment. M. CLEMENCEAU said that he would ask M. Jonnart whether he was willing to go, but he did not expect him to accept. He asked whether Mr. Balfour could not make a British appointment in this alternative. MR. BALFOUR said that another plan suggested to him was that in each capital the Roumanian diplomatic representative should be summoned and that the views of the Allied and Associated Powers should be clearly explained to him. M. CLEMENCEAU said that he did not think this course would be sufficient to meet the case. He wished to send a single individual to represent the Council in Bucharest and who would return with the answer of the Roumanian Government. MR. BALFOUR observed that the Council required more than an answer. It would be necessary for their representative to make public in Roumania the point of view of the Allied and Associated Powers. This point of view appeared to be much misunderstood in Roumania. MR. POLK said that the Roumanians regarded America as their one enemy. A distinguished Roumanian had informed an Ameri can of this. When told that all the communications sent to the Roumanian Government had been sent collectively from all the Allied and Associated Powers, he had, in reply, drawn attention to the views expressed in the French Press. M. CLEMENCEAU pointed out that during the incidents between France and Italy, the French Press had been consistently pro-Italian. The pro-Roumanian attitude of the French Press at the present time was, in the main, due to the activities of M. Robert de Flers. On the other hand, M. Bratiano had said that M. Clemenceau was his worst foe. The Roumanians were certainly friendly with the Italians, but he trusted that the Italian Government was not offering them any encouragement. M. TITTONI said that he occasionally saw M. Misu. On all occasions, he had impressed on him that the Conference took a very serious view of the Roumanian situation. He had warned him that Roumania was embarking on a very risky enterprise. MR. POLK said that on further reflection, he thought it would be a good thing to summon the Roumanian Minister at the four capitals. M. CLEMENCEAU said that the object might be attained by recalling the Allied Ministers from Bukarest. M. TITTONI Said that this step should be reserved for a later stage. MR. BALFOUR said that the results hitherto obtained by the discussion appeared to be (a) that a Commissioner must be found to represent the Council in Bucharest: (b) that M. Misu should be summoned to be present at the Council and that the Roumanian Ministers in Rome, London and Washington should be summoned by the Governments of those capitals. The Roumanian Ministers summoned should be warned that the Council regarded the actions of their Government with considerable disfavour and it should be explained to them that the Roumanian Government appeared to misapprehend the policy of the Allied and Associated Powers completely. (c) That they should be told that the Allied and Associated Powers were seriously considering the withdrawal of their representatives at Bucharest, as a token that they ceased to regard Roumania as one of the Allied and Associated Powers. M. CLEMENCEAU said that he would see M. Jonnart on that very day. He asked Mr. Balfour meanwhile to endeavour to find a suitable Englishman for the post. He further asked that Mr. Balfour should draft a document explaining the Allied policy towards Roumania. Should the Roumanian Government reject the ultimatum addressed to them, the representative of the Council, on leaving Roumania, should bring back with him all the Allied and Associated Ministers and officers in the country. (It was agreed that Mr. Balfour should draft a document explaining the policy of the Council towards Roumania, and that this document should be submitted to the Council on the following day. It was also agreed that both M. Clemenceau and Mr. Balfour should endeavour to find a suitable representative of the Council to send to Bukarest.) 3. The interpreter read a letter from Mr. Hoover to M. Clemenceau (see Appendix A), stating that the amount of railway rolling stock in locomotives and wagons was much larger in Hungary than had been originally surmised. The rolling stock included equipment: formerly belonging to the Galician railways, and therefore due to the Polish Government; belonging to the Bohemian railways and therefore due to Allotment of Found in Hungary |