the expeditious transaction of business, and the representation was cut in half, thus leading to the popular designation of "The Council of Five." Then it was found unnecessary to have the representative of Japan in attendance except when Japanese interests were involved, and the number of representatives was reduced to four, and the body became popularly known as "The Council of Four." But, while these popular appellations refer to the meetings of the representatives of the Great Powers as a council, the meetings are, nevertheless, as above stated, under the rules of the Conference, equally as valid and authoritative meetings of the Peace Conference as are the plenary sessions of the seventy delegates of all the Powers. In fact, the socalled Council of Great Powers is the only body of the Conference continuously in session.

From the formal opening of the full Conference on January 18th until its third meeting on February 14th, with which this narrative ends, the representatives of the Great Powers met on twenty days, sometimes holding two sessions a day. The meetings were not open to the public and information concerning their transactions was supplied to the press in official communiqués averaging in length about two hundred words and containing a short summary of the persons present and the matters discussed.

After the inaugural session, on January 18th, the representatives of the Great Powers first devoted their meetings to the consideration of the situation in Russia. On January 22d they approved the following proposal of President Wilson upon that subject:

The single object the representatives of the Associated Powers have had in mind in their discussions of the course they should pursue with regard to Russia has been to help the Russian people, not to hinder them, or to interfere in any manner with their right to settle their own affairs in their own way. They regard the Russian people as their friends, not their enemies, and are willing to help them in any way they are willing to be helped. It is clear to them that the troubles and distresses of the Russian people will steadily increase, hunger and privation of every kind become more and more acute, more and more widespread, and more and more impossible to relieve, unless order is restored, and normal conditions of labor, trade, and transportation once more created, and they are seeking some way in which to assist the Russian people to establish order.

They recognize the absolute right of the Russian people to direct their own affairs without dictation or direction of any kind from outside. They do not wish to exploit, or make use of Russia in any way. They recognize the revolution without reservation and will in no way, and in no circumstances, aid or give countenance to any attempt at a counter-revolution. It is not their wish or purpose to favor or assist any one of the organized groups now contending for the leadership and guidance of Russia as against the others. Their sole and sincere purpose is to do what they can to bring Russia peace and an opportunity to find her way out of her present troubles.

The Associated Powers are now engaged in the solemn and responsible work of establishing the peace of Europe, and of the world, and they are keenly alive to the fact that Europe and the world can not be at peace if Russia is not. They recognize and accept it as their duty, therefore, to serve Russia in this great matter as generously, as unselfishly, as thoughtfully, and ungrudgingly as they would serve every other friend and ally. And they are ready to render this service in the way that is most acceptable to the Russian people.

In this spirit and with this purpose, they have taken the following action: They invite every organized group that is now exercising or attempting to exercise political authority or military control anywhere in Siberia, or within the boundaries of European Russia as they stood before the war just concluded (except in Finland), to send representatives, not exceeding three representatives for each group, to the Prince's Islands, Sea of Marmora, where they will be met by representatives of the Associated Powers, provided in the meantime there is a truce of arms amongst the parties invited, and that all armed forces anywhere sent or directed against any people or territory outside the boundaries of European Russia as they stood before the war, or against Finland, or against any people or territory whose autonomous action is in contemplation in the fourteen articles upon which the present negotiations are based, shall be meanwhile withdrawn, and aggressive military action cease. These representatives are invited to confer with the representatives of the Associated Powers in the freest and frankest way, with a view to ascertaining the wishes of all sections of the Russian people, and bringing about, if possible, some understanding and agreement by which Russia may work out her own purposes and happy coöperative relations be established between her people and the other peoples of the world.

A prompt reply to this invitation is requested. Every facility for the journey of the representatives, including transport across the Black Sea, will be given by the Allies, and all the parties concerned are expected to give the same facilities. The representatives will be expected at the place appointed by the fifteenth of February, 1919. The proposal will be sent to-night by wireless to the interested parties.

The political situation in Poland also received the early attention of the Great Powers. On January 22d, they decided to send to Poland a commission composed of two delegates, one civil and the other military, of the United States, Great Britain, France and Italy. The following members were appointed:

Commission on the Mission to Poland:

United States of America: General Kernan, Dr. Lord.

British Empire: Sir Esme Howard, General Carton de Wiar. France: M. Noulens, General Niessel.

Italy: M. Montagne, General Romei.

Territorial questions next received attention. On January 23d the Great Powers considered the procedure to be adopted with regard to these questions, but before taking them up they thought it necessary to deal with the unfortunate armed conflicts then being waged in different parts of Europe over disputed pieces of territory, the title to which the Conference hopes to define. They, therefore, on January 24th, issued the following communication to the conflicting parties, which it transmitted by wireless to all parts of the world:

The governments now associated in conference to effect a lasting peace among the nations are deeply disturbed by the news which comes to them of the many instances in which armed force is being made use of, in many parts of Europe and the East, to gain possession of territory, the rightful claim to which the Peace Conference is to be asked to determine. They deem it their duty to utter a solemn warning that possession gained by force will seriously prejudice the claims of those who use such means. It will create the presumption that those who employ force doubt the justice and validity of their claim and purpose to substitute possession for proof of right and set up sovereignty by coercion rather than by racial or national preference and natural historical association. They thus put a cloud upon every evidence of title they may afterward allege and indicate their distrust of the Conference itself. Nothing but the most unfortunate results can ensue. If they expect justice, they must refrain from force and place their claims in unclouded good faith in the hands of the Conference of Peace.

The disposition of the German colonies in the Far East, Africa and the Pacific occupied the meetings of the Great Powers on January 24th, 27th, 28th and 30th, at which representatives of Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, China, Italy, Japan, France and Belgium were heard concerning the particular interests of their respective countries in the disposition of these colonies. The Powers also considered the application of the principles of the League of Nations in relation to the colonies. After the meeting on January 30th, it was announced that satisfactory provisional arrangements had been reached for dealing with the German colonies and the occupied territory in Turkey-in-Asia.

The Great Powers then passed to the consideration of the territorial questions in Continental Europe.

On January 29th, the dispute between Poland and CzechoSlovakia over the industrial district of Teschen was presented by the delegates of those two countries, and on January 31st it was decided to send an allied commission to Teschen to assure the peaceful exploitation of the district pending the settlement of the question by the Conference. A modus vivendi was signed on February 3d by the representatives of Poland and Czetho-Slovakia, the President of the United States and the Prime Ministers of Great Britain, Italy and France. This document recognized the right of the Allied Commission to supervise the exploitation of the district so as to avoid any conflict between the Czechs and Poles and to inquire into the basis upon which the Peace Conference may form its decision in definitively fixing the respective frontiers." The Commission of Control was constituted as follows:

Commission on Control for Teschen:

United States of America: Mr. Marcus A. Coolidge.

British Empire: Colonel Coulson.

France: M. Grenard.

Italy: M. Bitissi.

The claims of Roumania and Serbia in the Banat of Temesvar were presented to the conference of the Great Powers on January

The text of the modus vivendi is printed herein, infra, p. 319.

31st. On February 1st a detailed statement of Roumanian claims was heard, and the following Commission appointed to examine them:

Commission for the Study of Roumanian Territorial Claims:
United States of America: Dr. Day, Dr. Seymour.
British Empire: Sir Eyre Crowe, Mr. Leeper.

France: M. Tardieu, M. Larouche.

Italy: M. de Martino, M. Vannutelli.

This Commission met on February 8th and elected as President M. Tardieu of France, and as Vice-President Signor de Martino of Italy.

On February 4th, Greek territorial interests were presented and referred to an expert Committee composed of two representatives each of the United States, Great Britain, France and Italy, the Committee being authorized to consult representatives of the peoples concerned. Its membership was as follows:

Commission for the Study of Greek Territorial Claims:

United States of America: Dr. Westermann, Dr. Day.
British Empire: Sir Robert Borden, Sir Eyre Crowe.
France: M. Jules Cambon, M. Gout.

Italy: M. de Martino, Colonel Castoldi.

This Commission met on February 12th and chose M. Jules Cambon, of France, as President, and Sir Robert Borden, of Canada, as Vice-President.

On February 5th, the territorial claims of the Czecho-Slovak Republic were considered and referred to a Commission composed of two representatives from France, Great Britain, Italy and the United States, to examine the technical aspects of the question.

The situation of the Arabs was considered on February 6th and the claims of Belgium taken up on February 11th.

Interspersed between its consideration of these various and complicated territorial claims, the conference of the Great Powers found time to consider other questions. On January 27th, it created two commissions, one on financial drafting and another on economic drafting, with instructions to submit a statement of the broad principles