Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/269/1 - 1918 - 1936 - Part 5

L of N.
W. Wilson's terrific fight for L of N & to keep it from being merely
the instrument of Fr - but machinery to adjust / world
thereafter not by interest but by right.
He took its constn from the Brit, L of N. Societies &
common set up by Govt (thru A.V. Balfour) to draw up a plan - 
Ctee under chairmanship of Baron Phillimore, reported on 29.3.18. &
use 18 Articles of its rept became basis of L of N. The Amercn
"League to Enforce Peace" worked for same ideals, but it ws

the ^Phillimore rept, sent to America in May, on wh Wilson chiefly thought.

[*I/214-8*]
In June 1918 he started it. House (& Elihu Root) worked on this & added
International Court of Justice.
House draft also guaranteed to "territl integrity & political indepce" 

of L of N members. Wilson held in a strong, direct guarantee, basing this 
on the inspiratns drawn from American Constitn.
House folld the guarantee with clauses providing for
modificns e.g. (as he wrote) if Can. wanted to join ? U.S.A.
"Mandate" ws Saruto's inventn;

Presdt left out the internatl courts, & put in "armed force as a means
(besides blockades) of xxxxx punishing violation.

Baker 11/224 Japan, wh won recognn of her status as a gt power,
ws only tn into Co. of 4 when Eastern qns discd.
She wanted (1) complete recogn (also) in Covt of L of N.
& (2) recogn of right to deal w China  unhampered
by other powers.
She demanded former Germ. concessns in China to be
disposed of solely betw her
[*WaT JX2271
MW254 1*]
/229 1st day Jap & China present & Jap. presented demand
2nd day xxxx 3 Chinese Koo addressed Wilson.
? 10 Jan: No more till mid April!
Feb 13 Makino introdd Equality clause
But shelved, owing to struggles with France,
until came before L. of N. Comm. on Ap 11.

Presdt smarting under taunts of Fr. Press
Baker 1/271 Plenary Session Jan 25 started League.
Ll.G. Jan 30 at Co. of 10 says Brit. accepted Mandate Syst.
But held sep. & heated mtg of Delegn. & got Premrs to agree to
C Mandate definition
Then on Jan 30 Ll G. came to Co of 10 & sd. Bulair had
accepted but Dominions not wholly so, but were
prepd to accept xxxx a resln as a compromise.
Ll. G. then presented resoln for A B & C mandates.
Presdt didnt disagree but wdnt hurry. League
shd give mandates.
Ll G. sd "he cdnt help saying tt / statement to
wh they had just listened filled him w despair."
Wilson ws ready to accept / propls subj to reconsidn
Jap. & Austlia both disptd.
This ws / first gt struggle at Peace Confce.
Hughes ws prest. on Jan 30. Quotn in Baker 1/275
is from secret minutes of Confce.
Smuts 31 Mar Mins.
"Compensation for all damage done to
/ civilian popln o / allies & to their propty
by / aggressn of Gy by land, by sea, & from / air"
Reserve Nov 1918

Jap destd by Minotaur, Hampshire (& ? Newc.) Aug 12.

Amrn scheme w Smuts princ. as mandatory.
Jan 21 Wilson tries to bring on L of N descn
[*p252*]  Jan 23. Ll.G. begins attempt to divide Brit. Colonies
Props Col. matters be discussed. Clem. & Sounino agree.
Division wd have all pties feeling they had something definite. All delegns to send in claims in 10 days.
Jan 25 2nd Plenary session. Ctee to draft Covenant.
[*254/*]   Jan 24 aftn: Gt stir in outer room. As this stage / Dominion
PMs entered room.
Ll.G. made brief statement showing G. Col. poly had bn bad
Wilson .Agreed all oppd to restorn of G colonies (!)
Ll.G. suggd (1) Internatln
(2) One nation as mandatory
(3) Annexn
This Doms. wanted at once & Ll G supptd.
"We wd like / confce to treat / territories as pt o /
Dom's wh had captd them"
[*257/*]

Then Hughes, Massey, Smuts. All for annexn.
Cost & bases - tps now in possn
Security
Natives safegdd
Botha spoke in suppt.
Jan 27. Japs (& French?) Japs want Kracochow & rlwys bk in Shanlong.
Wilson explains what he means
Jan 28.  Simon & G. Is. for Togo land & Cameroons. Later Belg., Italy, Portugal.
W says, it wd make L of N imp.(to Ll.G & Clem)
Simon for annexn straight out. Came near to rupture. W. sd whole discn
so far a negn in detail of Principle. Balf says no - Brit. accepts for
herself. He wd like time to 
think things over.
W. p is out tt only Gt B. had acceptd
He wdn't postpone / matter any 
more than Ll.G. The date of his 
departure ws set.

[*? Jan 29. Fr. & Hughes att.
Wilson outside.*]

[*I/275*]   Jan 30 Wilson turns on Hughes.
Wilson protests agst atts.
Jan 27. Dom PMs. Japan, China, all there

Ll.G. explains tt he favours mandates but he didn't think
"a special exceptn in favour of / Doms. wd spoil / whole case."
H. & M. both ready to admit mandates elsewhere.

Being beaten on this Brit Emp decided to try & get what
it wanted inside Leaque.
Separate mtg of Brit Emp. delegn. & w gt diffy got

Premiers to agree to general mandatory definitn.
Jan 30 Ll.G. arrived at Co. of 10

[*272/*]

Gt. Britan decided to accept but ^Doms not wholly.
Doms prepd to accept doct. as a compromise.
He Then presented resoln re Turk. terrties &
Central African lands. But G. S.W. & Pacific
- occpd by Dom tps - in "C." mandate
left out the "open door."
Presdt agreed, but wdnt parcel them out yet.

Mandates must wait for League.
Ll. G. sd "/ statement to wh they had just listened
filled him w despair."
[*275/*]

Hughes's ultimatum.
Doms. Fr., Jap. dispptd.

(Notes from Tasmn Pub. Library)
Plenary session of League [[28?]]Ap 1919 accepted Govt.
Smuts pamphlet:
League to be reversionary of Germ. Aust-Hung, R. Turkish
Empires
Supervn by League or mandatories.
Wilson adds G. colonies. in his draft.
Commn appointed by plenary confce. Considd Hurst-Miller
draft.
In first reading debate Japs introdd racial equality
clause.
Finally raised by Japs on day on wh Covt adopted.
Feb 14 draft Covt publd. W went soon to America
next Confce Mar 22.
[[?natials/]] summoned to Confce & made suggns
In W's visit to America he began to realise tt
oppn to Covt ws strong (Taft, Lowell &
Elihu Root got him to take up certain amendments)
(1) Control of domestic subjs (Done)
(2) Reservn of Monroe Doctrine
(3) Provn for withdrl from League. (done)
(6) Freedom to refuse mandates (not neg)
Fix term for durn of League & of limitn of armt.
Require unanimity.
Wilson propsd amendts  at 2nd session of L of N Commn.

Note from Mr 

Hughes - abt

meetings of Co. of Ten

Jan 23-30 1918

Hughes
Orlund
Makino

Clem [shorthand]

Botha spoke
for S. Africa. 
2 - [shorthand] 

Koo spoke [shorthand] 
Hughes [shorthand] first

[shorthand] 
[shorthand] ws left alone.

[*Ll. G.  [shorthand] C of 4 abt 11.45*]
[*Drafting done by
Hankey.*]

Clem
Pichou
Wilson
Lansing ?
Orlando

Sounino
Makino
[Chinta?]
Wellington Koo &

a Chinese
Bonar Law
Hughes

Ref. Vol XI Chap. 22, pp. 27. 38.
Personal
13 November 1935

Right Hon. Sir John Latham,
Chief Justice of Australia,
High Court,
Melbourne.
My dear Latham,
if you are not too busy, I wonder if you would
again give me your help in connection with the history of the
Versailles Peace Conference.
Professor Scott's volume was some time ago sent
to Mr Hughes for his comment, and he has just returned it with
several interesting notes. One of these relates to the origin
of the "C" class mandates. He kindly called on me and gave me
his version of the story, which, as far as 1 can remember it
is shortly as follows:

[*A*]
The British delegation-had or rather the War
Cabinet- had decided to claim the sovereignty of South West
Africa and the Pacific Islands for the Dominions whose troops
occupied them; but, in France, the attitude of President Wilson, 

who finally threatened to leave the conference, caused
Mr Lloyd George to withdraw his support from Mr Hughes in this
matter - all the rest of the British delegationhad already
withdrawn theirs. Lloyd George and Hughes had a heart to
heart talk over the matter - "we talked to one another, well, in
Welsh.." said Hughes to me - and as the result it was left to
a committee consisting of Bonar Law, Hughes, and Col. Hankey
to draft an acceptable solution if they could find one. Hughes
says that Bonar Law didn’t come much into it, but Hankey drew
up formula after formula and submitted them to Hughes and each
time Hughes turned them down until a suitable one was evolved.
(Now I understood that you drafted the actual formula
that was approved, and so I take it that, either you were left
by Hughes to deal with Hankey as to the details, or else that,
after Hankey had produced a formula that might suffice generally,
you were asked to make it suitable for Mr Hughes. Anyway,
to proceed with Billy's story - )
[*B*]

- Hughes then asked Hankey; "Is this equivalent to a
999 years lease as compared with a freehold?" Hankey said that
it was; and Hughes then agreed.

2

[*B*]
Mr Hughes says the solution was next brought before the / Council of Ten
Here Mr Hughes was asked if he adreed to the several conditions, 

as to prohibition of arms, liquor, fortification, and
as to access for missionaries, and, xxxxx on his acquiescence,
President Wilson asked if this was Australia's ultimatum. M.
Clemenceau intervened diplomatically, and the "C" class mandate
formula was approved.
I should be grateful 1f you would give me your help as
to this narrative, either confirming or modifying or controverting 

[*C*]

it. Mr Hughes also tells me that Temperley's statement 

(History of Peace Conference, Vol VI, p.353) that Hughes he
demanded the refund of the whole of Australia's war costs,
estimated at £364,000,000 plus £100,000,000 for pensions,
loss of property, etc., is an "invention" - that he made no
such demand then or at any other time.
I should be grateful if you could throw any light on this
matter ^also. I dont think am sure Temperley would ^not invent a statement, and
if he is wrong he is probably confusing an statement estimate of Australia's 

loss with a demand for its repayment.
Your opinion (however shortly stated -even a sentence or
two -) would be of great help.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd) CEW Bean