Conference, and that it particularly affects the question of the economic and financial liquidation of Austria-Hungary.

The Czecho-Slovak Government is obviously particularly interested in this problem; it is a question of its fundamental existence.

I have had the honor personally to state on several occasions that the Czecho-Slovak State will do all that it can to insure that the Allied and Associated States will not lose a single sou in the dismemberment of Austria-Hungary.

This principle, which we have always recognized and which also will guide us, when we submit before the Peace Conference our plan concerning the financial liquidation of Austria-Hungary, is in no way influenced by this decision. We wish, simply, to negotiate directly with the Allied and Associated States in dealing with questions which affect us so directly, and we do not wish to dispute these troublesome and difficult questions again with our enemies, the Austrians and the Magyars.

Moreover, the attached document itself indicates sufficiently what our point of view is.

Requesting you, Sir, to be so good as to let me know whether the French Government accepts this point of view, or otherwise what are its objections to this procedure, I beg you to accept the assurances of my highest esteem.

Enclosure to Annexure "B"

The Government of the Czecho-Slovak Republic cannot enter into negotiations, which are to assure the payment of the March coupons and cannot contribute any amount, even in case where by this act, no prejudice would be brought into the decision of the Peace Conference, relative to the reparation of the guarantee, for the debts of Austria-Hungary. The situation of the Czecho-Slovak Republic differs essentially from that of the other Governments as well in that which concerns the Austrian war debt as the pre-war debt. The Czecho-Slovak Government can neither pay the Austrian and Hungarian war debts nor even the interest that would result therefrom, because in this way it would render itself liable towards the Allies and the engagements it made with them. The Austrian and Hungarian war loans were issued with the object in view of conducting the war against the Allies and against the Czecho-Slovak people which has been recognized by the Allies as a friendly nation, of which the Paris Government and the armies in the Entente countries were recognized as being an Allied government and army. According to principles in the Allied countries, all the transactions of the war loans and the payment of interest on such loans as were directed

against the Allies have been cancelled and the Government of the Czecho-Slovak Republic would act disloyally against the Allies if it contributed in part to the payment of the coupons of the war loans.

This disloyalty would be so much the more serious because these war loans are found in the hands of the subjects of the states who up to the present are still considered by the Allies as enemies; it would thus be to enemy countries that the Czecho-Slovak Republic would pay them.

Outside of this the government of the Czecho-Slovak Republic remarks, that, on the contrary, it has the right and the duty to claim for its citizens reparation for the damages that were caused them by the anti-constitutional and illegal war loans. The subscription to these was imposed by the infraction of all laws of liberty: the citizens were menaced by the threat of having all their goods confiscated, by threat of imprisonment, and of being sent to the first line of the front, by condemnation to death even of those who faithful to the Czecho-Slovak government of Paris refused to give money for the carrying on of the war against the Allies. Should the government of the Czecho-Slovak republic contribute to the payment of the coupons of the war loans, it would approve of the terrible injustices which were permitted against the Czecho-Slovak people on the part of those the incontestable inheritors of whom are the AustroGerman and Magyar republics and which still today are in most intimate relations with the enemies of the Allies.

In that which relates to pre-war debts, the government of the Czecho-Slovak Republic cannot participate either, in the slightest measure to the payment of the March coupons, because these prewar debts are placed for the most part in countries hostile to the Entente. The government of the Czecho-Slovak republic will charge itself to pay for its subjects in seasonable time, the coupons of the pre-war debt and will come to an understanding directly with the Allied governments as to the method of paying loan coupons, found in the Allied countries where it is diplomatically represented, and can independently and indirectly settle the questions of interest on these pre-war debts.

For these reasons, the government of the Czecho-Slovak Republic does not think it necessary to have any discussions relative to this matter brought up at the meeting of the plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the states created from the territory of old AustriaHungary.

Paris Peace Conf. 180.03101/58

BC-51 SWC-17

Minutes of the Meeting of the Supreme War Council Held in M. Pichon's Room at the Quai d'Orsay, Paris, Saturday, March 15th, 1919, at 3 p. m.

ALSO PRESENT

AMERICA, UNITED STATES OF

General Tasker H. Bliss
Major General M. N. Patrick
Dr. S. E. Mezes

Mr. I. Bowman

Mr. J. B. Scott

Colonel W. S. Browning

Colonel E. G. Gorrell

Captain S. Montgomery

BRITISH EMPIRE

General Sir H. H. Wilson, K. C. B.,
D. S. O.

Admiral Sir R. E. Wemyss, G. C. B.,
C. M. G., M. V. O.

Rear Admiral G. P. W. Hope, C. B.
Major General W. Thwaites, C. B.
Major General Hon. C. J. Sackville-
West, C. M. G.

Brigadier General P. R. C. Groves,
D. S. O.

Lt. Col. F. H. Kisch, D. S. O.

Mr. C. J. B. Hurst, C. B., K. C.

Captain C. T. M. Fuller, C. M. G.,
D. S. O., R. N.

Paymaster-Captain C. F. Pollard, C. B.,
R. N.

M. de Bearn

ITALY

M. Leygues

H. E. M. Orlando

H. E. Baron Sonnino

Secretaries

Count Aldrovandi

M. Bertele

Capt. Fracchia

M. Brambilla

FRANCE

Marshal Foch

General Weygand

General Belin

General Degoutte

General Duval

Admiral de Bon

General Le Rond

M. Tardieu

M. Cambon
M. Fromageot

JAPAN

M. Degrand

M. CLEMENCEAU said that Mr. Lansing had a resolution to

propose.

Power for Representatives on the Inter-Allied Polish Commission to Visit

German Parts

of Poland

MR. LANSING then read the following resolution :—
It is agreed that:-

Marshal Foch is hereby requested to seek an early opportunity to arrange with the Germans that any member or delegate of the Inter-allied Mission to Poland shall be enabled at any time to visit any portion of the territories east of the Vistula still under German civil or military command.

Mr. Lansing explained that the purpose of the proposal was to obtain means of checking the alleged sale of arms to the Bolsheviks by the Germans whenever they evacuated territory. He presumed that similar information had reached all Governments on this score. (No comment being made, the above resolution was adopted.) 2. M. CLEMENCEAU said that to complete the nominations to the Aviation Commission, representatives of the smaller Powers were required.

Appointment of
Representatives of
Powers With
Special Interests
on the Aviation

Commission

M. PICHON proposed that the following Powers be invited to nominate members on this Commission:

He thought that it was necessary to designate the Powers that should be represented lest the incident relating to election of delegates for the Financial and Economic Commissions be repeated.

M. CLEMENCEAU said he understood that each of the Powers mentioned would have the right to select their own delegate.

MR. BALFOUR suggested that Portugal should be added to the list as the Azores were important as an air station.

M. PICHON said he had no objection to the addition of Portugal. MR. LANSING pointed out that Cuba had equally strong claims. Without Cuba the Allies would have had no sugar.

(It was therefore agreed that the following Powers with special interests should appoint members to the Aviation Commission:

3. M. CLEMENCEAU stated that he had received a message from President Wilson asking for the postponement of the discussion on

Military, Naval

and Aerial Terms

of Peace

the Military, Naval and Aerial Terms of Peace. In view of this request the discussion would be postponed until Monday, 17th March.

4. M. CLEMENCEAU said that the remaining item on the Agenda was the report of the Polish Commission. As some of the Powers present were not ready to discuss this subject, it would be necessary to adjourn its dis

Report of Polish
Commission

cussion.

(The meeting then adjourned.) PARIS, March 15th, 1919.