Mere villages had been permitted to elect four deputies, while entire districts had only sent one or two representatives. Out of fifty of the King's former Ministers, only two voted against him. Not a single officer or priest voted for the abolition of the Dynasty. Out of the 56 Deputies elected by the people to the Parliament of 1914, only 5 declared against Nicholas I.

Events had developed too far and too rapidly. Such shameless juggling with a regularly established Kingdom could not be accepted by an intelligent population, proud of its history and traditions and conscious of its individuality and need for liberty. Discontent rapidly developed into indignation, which indignation manifested itself both against the Serbian troops and the Montenegrins in the pay of Serbia.

In Paris, the Royal Government protested to the Allies against the violence done to our country, against this contempt of all rights. Our complaint has hitherto met with no response. The Serbs are still in Montenegro, pursuing their aims by armed force. Martyrs fall each day; but it has at any rate been proved before the whole world that the will of Montenegro has not been freely manifested.

We most earnestly desire that our protests shall not be misinterpreted. We will not permit Montenegro to become a Serbian province and be ruled by princes neither of her own choice nor her own royal line. It affords us satisfaction to consider that our country has firmly resisted such brutal and humiliating annexation. We are conscious, however, of all that we owe to our race and our people. We will not set our faces against a confederation of the Jugo-Slav countries, the States constituting which league would retain full and complete autonomy. Thus it is evident that we are merely claiming for Montenegro a right which is now recognised as legitimate for all people that of self-determination. If this right is to be exercised, an end must be made to the rule of terror and despotism from which our country has suffered so much. After investigation by you, the Serbians must be asked to evacuate Montenegrin territory at once. Their gold and their bayonets must affect us no longer.

Then the task which it has consoled us to think of during defeat and exile can be fulfilled; Montenegro can be restored, as we have been solemnly and repeatedly promised by the great Allied statesmen, Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Poincaré, Mr. Briand, Mr. Asquith, Mr. Orlando, and Mr. Wilson, the President of the United States, whose eloquent telegram, dated July 1918, we here beg to record:

"I thank Your Majesty sincerely for the courteous greetings you so kindly despatched to me on July 4th, which I value highly. I deeply sympathise with Your Majesty in the calamity which has overtaken Montenegro by the invasion of a ruthless force. I trust

Official U. S. Bulletin, July 12, 1918, p. 6.

that Your Majesty and the noble and heroic people of Montenegro will not be cast down, but will have confidence in the determination of the United States to see that in the final victory that will come, the integrity and rights of Montenegro shall be secured and recognised."

The logical result of this restoration is the return to Montenegro of its lawful Government, which would ensure the working of its constitution and restore the country to normal conditions. We venture to hope that you will help us in this peaceful task.

Montenegro would then be free to express its aims, through the Parliament provided by its constitution, but for the present we can make known to you its fair and moderate claims.

Montenegro was poor, very poor; the present war has made it poorer still, and has deprived those who dwell in its mountains of the slight agricultural and commercial resources with which they were content. The losses caused by 18 months of fighting and 34 months of occupation must be made good. Its want is fearful. Montenegro is deserving of your help.

To allow of the restoration of the country, and to ensure its development and safety, its frontiers should be more logically connected with historical facts and natural features. We shall make known to the Peace Conference what we hold to be the legitimate frontiers of Montenegro, allowing her to exist peacefully without fear of compromising the independence so dear to her and which has been maintained since the 5th century by the heroism of our ancestors.

We have tried to express our views shortly, knowing only too well how precious is the time of the great Council which has given us a hearing; but in a memorandum which we take the liberty of presenting to each one of you you will find more detailed explanations of the questions which we have raised, together with documents justifying our statements and proving our good faith.

(M. Clemenceau thanked the Delegation, which then withdrew.) (The Meeting then adjourned.)

PARIS, 6th March, 1919.

Annexure "A" to IC-154 [BC-44]

[The Czechoslovak Minister of Foreign Affairs (Benes) to the Italian Ambassador in France (Bonin-Longare)] 5

PARIS, March 1, 1919.

EXCELLENCY: I have just received the report of Commandant Fierlinger on his return from Trieste where he had been sent to "Translation from the French supplied by the editors.

make contact with the Italian authorities with regard to the shipment of supplies for the Czechoslovak countries by way of the port of Trieste. The Royal Government of Italy was good enough to agree that our shipments of food stuffs be sent by the Udine-Tarvis route, on account of the recent closing of the railways in the south. Although the overloading of that route permits the passage of only a very limited number of our supply trains for Bohemia, there is hope of increasing their number as soon as the situation will permit. I venture to ask, therefore, Your Excellency, that you will kindly be the interpreter to your Government of our warm gratitude for the measures mentioned above, which will greatly assist in bringing help to our populations at a critical moment, and also for the extreme good will with which the Royal Government of Italy so kindly carried out all the measures taken on our behalf in connection with this important matter. Please accept [etc.]

E. BENES

Annexure "B" to IC-154 [BC-44]

Messages, General Nudant, President Cipa, to Marshal Foch, 4 bis, Boul. Invalides, Paris'

SPA, March, 1919.

No. 649. Wako has delivered long note on Bolshevism and necessity help of Entente to ward it off. First, to send supplies, then to help in establishing front against bolshevik offensive expected in Spring. German Supreme Command puts to Entente following plain question: Are Governments interested, yes or no, in having our troops fight Bolshevism? If yes, that transportation be authorized to the region of Libau, so as to constitute in East Prussia a front continuing that of the Poles. I remind you :

(1) That the Germans had prepared five boats for such transportation, but that Allies forbade sailing;

(2) That quarters for a German army corps are at Libau.

Abbreviation for Commission interalliée permanente d'armistice (Interallied Permanent Armistice Commission).

Translation from the French supplied by the editors.

Abbreviation for Waffenstillstandkommission (German Armistice Commis

sion).

Paris Peace Conf. 180.03101/52

BC-45 SWC-12

Minutes of the 17th Session, Supreme War Council Held in M. Pichon's Room at the Quai d'Orsay, Paris, Thursday, March 6, 1919, at 3 p. m.

1. M. CLEMENCEAU having declared the meeting open, said that a draft resolution containing instructions to Commissions and Committees, whose reports were due on March 8th and March 15th, had been handed in by the American Delegation. He asked the American Delegation to explain the exact scope of the resolution.

American Pro-
posal in Regard
to Drafting by
Committees and
Commissions of
Recommendations
Concerning

Preliminary

Peace Terms

MR. HOUSE explained that the resolution had been drafted with a view that all proposed Preliminary Peace terms submitted by Commissions and Committees should be framed in such legal form that no re-drafting would become neces

sary.

(The following resolution was duly approved:

"Each Commission and Committee established by the Conference should attach to its report a draft of a clause or clauses embodying its recommendations for insertion in the preliminary Peace Treaty provided its report is approved. In preparing such clauses, the members of the Commissions and Committees should consult their legal advisers."

2. MR. LLOYD GEORGE said that he had just received a message, telephoned from Spa, to the effect that negotiations relating to the

A Report of
Armistice

Commission for
Supplies

supply of food and stores to Germany, and the surrender of merchant ships by Germany, had been broken off. The Germans had refused to surrender any ships without a firm guarantee that food supplies would be furnished up to the time of the next harvest. This condition the Allied Delegates felt unable to accept. They were returning tonight to Paris and would be able to report the facts of the case to the Conference tomorrow.

MARSHAL FOCH said that he had so far received no communication on the subject from Spa.

(It was agreed to adjourn the further consideration of the question to the meeting to be held on the following afternoon, March 7th, 1919.)

'The "Brief Summary" of the minutes of this meeting (BC-45a, SWC-12a) gives a copy of the telegraphic report on this subject received by the British delegation from the British representatives at Spa, the text of which also appears as Annexure "A" to BC-46 (SWC-13), p. 266.