The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-09
WILSON'S COPY
OF SPEECH HERE
French Foreign Office Sent
Him Transcript-May Be
in His Safe.
COLBY MAY HAVE IT
Pledge to BratianO Made at
Closed Meeting on May
81, 1919.
ny LAURENCE HILLS.

staff Correspondent Of THE HERALD.
Copyright, 1890, Jy THE New YORK HERALD.
PARIS. Oct. S.-Either in President
Wilson's personal safe or In the ar
chives of the State Department In
Washington there exists copy of
the literal transcript of the minutes
of a closed meeting held at the Quai
d'Orsay in Paris during the Peace
Conference in the spring OF 1919 be-
tween the members of the Council of
| -Four and the representatives Of the
! little Powers, at which the President
made speech in which he said some
thing along the line quoted by Senator
Spencer, who has said that the Presi-
dent told Premier Bratiano Of Rumania
that If Rumania or Serbia were at,
tackled. again the United States would
send ships and troops to Europe TO
help them.
This meeting was, held May 81.
! 1919, and. unlike the plenary sessions
or the full Peace Conference, was not
open TO the press. No copies OF the
speeches made there were even given
out However, the French Foreign
Office says that each Government was
/ furnished with the minutes OF this
meeting and President Wilson has n
copy. The Foreign Office refused to-
day to permit correspondents TO in
spect its COPY. saying It was part of
secret minutes which it would require
the agreement of all Governments 10
make public.
However, Eoreign Office officials
could see no reason why the President
should not from his copy make public
his own remarks. pointing out that
many OF former Premier Cemenceall' q
remarks in similar meetings had been
made public. either by himself or by
Andre Tardieu. Surprise was expressed
that with the means at hand once and
for all to settle all controversy tn.
President should not have published his
exact remarks.
II Is admitted that the copy here Of
minutes OF sessions of the Peace Con-
ference contains remarks by President
Wilson on the subject mentioned by
Senator Spencer. The Foreign office
refuses TO disclose. however, whether
the words are exactly those attributed
TO tho President
After this meeting the correspond
ents. OF whom the correspondent of THE
NEW YORK HERALD was one, were told
by persons attending that the President
replied personally to Premier Bratianos
pi otest against the inclusion In the Aus
TRAN treaty Of clauses concerning minor
ities. The meeting was a stormy one.
the Presidents speech being feature
10 Lr4R
Powers. including the United States. .un-
dertook. under the covenant. to guaran-
tee the existence and protection OF small
nations with all their resources n ne
cessary and as the question OF minorl-
ties often had disturbed world peace,
the Powers had a right TO exact these
minority clauses.
II the American Embassy here has a
copy of the minutes of this meeting. Of
hcials refused TO admit Il. explaining
that the only official minutes were those
on the plcnary sessions Tho records
OF other Governments that participated
in the peace conference have left Paris
The "minorlties" under discussion at
the meeting referred TO were those ele-
ments OF the populations OF former por-
tions of the Austro-Hungarlan Empire
not of the same race as nations 10 which
they were to be annexed. such az the
Seekers and SaXons Of Transylvania,
minority in tho predominantly Ruman-
ian population OF that former province
OF Hungary. which was by the treaty Of
st. Germain. annexed TO Rumania. The
Great Powers had inserted in the treaty
clauses protecting these mlnoritiee
against undue oppression. civic or re-
iigious. by their new rulers. and 20 the
Insertion OF such clauses, Bratiano OBJ
1ected