(c) crown copyright Catalogue Reference:CAB/24/86 Image Reference:0002 (THIS. DOCUMENT. IS THE PROPERTY 0? HIS BRITANNIC, MAJESTY .S (foVEKaiMJ) 1 SBC R E T. G.T,7964i ?'A R C A B I jj E J 4b Memorandum by lord Sumner with reference to G*I.-7907. The Report is only a sketch and does not set out in fr.ll its framers' reasons and arguments, but, at the risk of doing: them less than justice, to venture the following observations p (j-o-norb ll-y:* (a) It contemplates a Secretariat and a Bureau, which will tend to be the colleagues and not the subordinates of the Commission end may even become its masters instead of its servants: (b) It either £oes too far or not far enough; it does more than organise the machinery, which the Commis^ion will need before it can start its own discussion? s t all, survey its task for itself, ani frame its organisation accordingly; hut i t does leas than complete the entire organisation, wnich. sooner or later the Commission will require; (c) It unduly tl as the hands of each iJation represented and needlessly requires each Nation to conform to a common plani- The effect of this will be to set up the Commission as;" a.n authority distinct from the governments w-hc send Delegates to it, and create the idea, that it is an independent tribunal or an International juris&ic­ tion, a very dangerous thing. The Commission is and always must be a mere pelsigacy. ; As to (a) "the various experts of the different national organisations should pxepsrs the material for the deliberations of the Commission." t "Inter-allied Committees and bub-Committees should be appointed to perform or prepare the v/ori: of the Commission (General principle [hfP "'2he oecretariat should be a. Committee of the Secretaries of the different National organisations, which would meet "The for the decision of all oendin, questions". General Secretary should have the direction of the Staff in ail routine matters: in all other matters he should he required to consult the Committe of Secretaries, to whom he would he respo&aibis" Ticheme and Organisation. - A. oecretaricit *. "Bach of the Inter-allied Services should be controlled hy a Committee consisting of the heads of the Technical Services concerned of"the various" National Organisations." fScTiomV and Organisation. B. Services and Divisions).­ * "As t h e method of v o t i n g and tho r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h o v a r i o u s c o u n t r i e s on t h e R e p a r a t i o n Commission i s d e f i n i t e l y l a i d down i n t h e T r e a t y . . . t h e v a r i o u s Committees and Suh-Committees-f , . s h o u l d b e f o r c e d and s h o u l d a c t on t h e same p i n c i p l c (General P r i n c i p l e ^ e) ) v V "The Committees c o n t r o l l i n g the work of the d i v i s i o n s o r g a n i s e d f o r t h e purpose of c a r r y i n g out the work of t h e S e r v i c e s h o u l d be on t h e same model and their" chairman and o f f i c i a l s s h o u l d be a p p o i n t e d i n t h e same manner and under t h e same c o n d i t i o n s " (Scheme - o f . ' O r g a n i s a t i o n B. S e r v i c e s ' and D i v i s i o n s ..) . These q u o t a t i o n s shew t h a t a s e r i e s . . of Departments i s contem­ p l a t e d , s i m i l a r l y o r g a n i s e d , equal i n i m p o r t a n c e , d i r e c t i n g t h e work of t h e i r s u b o r d i n a t e s , preparing; t h e commissions work and thus r e a l l y guiding i t s d e l i b e r a t i o n s . They a r e u n i t e d by a S e c r e t a r i a t , which "meets f o r the d e c i s i o n of a l l pending q u e s t i o n s " . , and t h e G e n e r a l S e c r e t a r y i s r e s p o n ­ s i b l e t o a Committee of p a r t i c u l a r S e c r e t a r i e s , of which h e may not even be a member. 1 I t . i s t r u e t h a t tha so f u n c t i o n a r i e s a r e n o t l e f t w i t h o u t some c o n t a c t w i t h t h e Commission, f o r "each Committee or Sub-committee i s t o have a c h a i r m a n , a p p o i n t e d by t h e commission from amongst i t s own members" ( s o t h e s e chairman w i l l be p r e t t y b u s y , i f t h e y do n o t s t o p away) b u t t h e Chairman w i l l be " l a r g e l y i n t h e hands of our Exocutivepffioo;s"whomight a l s o b e S e c r e t a r y " (Scheme of O r g a n i s a t i o n B S e r v i c e s ) (General P r i n c i p l e s 0. ) They w i l l , however, have t o s e r v e a good many m a s t e r s , f o r i n a d d i t i o n "Each of t h e I n t e r A l l i e d S e r v i c e s of t h e Commission should bo c o n t r o l l e d by a Committee c o n s i s t i n g of t h e Heads of the Technical Services (Scheme of O r g a n i s a t i o n B ) . I t h i n k t h e r e i s g r e a t danger i n t h e s e c o - e q u a l Departments v a r i o u s l y s u p e r v i s e d by v a r i o u s s u b - o r d i n a t e s , They w i l l be beyond t h e c o n t r o l of t h e Commission. . I t i s t o the Commission t h a t t h o G e n e r a l S e c r e t a r y should a l o n e be r e s p o n s i b l e i t i s f o r t h e Commission t o s a y What i t wants prepared i t i s f o r the Commission t o d e c i d e a l l q u e s t i o n s , c x ­ c e p t such a s i t f i n d s i t e x p e d i e n t t o d e p u t e f a r i t s e l f t o i t s O f f i c e r s from time t o t i m e . There i s no need f o r these Commit t e e s t o be a l l of one p a t t e r n Some w i l l be £ a r g e and s e m i ^ - p e r m a n e n t , e . g . I l l ( c ) Labour S u p p l i e s ; o t h e r s very temporary, e , g . I I ( a ) l . Subdivision for c l a i m s f o r p e r s o n a l damage, or a l m o s t i n s i g n i f i c a n t e . g . I l l ( a ) ­ o b j e c t s of a r t i s t i c i n t e r e s t and I I I (d) C a b l e s . Except f o r t h e i n i t i a l s e c r e t a r i a t and s t a f f , w i t h o u t which t h e Commission cannot s t a r t , I t h i n k t h e commission should frame i t s own o r g a n i s a t i o n t o f i t i t s work and i t s p o l i c y and i f i t i s w i s e , i t w i l l keep a n y t h i n g f l e x i b l e and i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e , u n t i l i t l e a r n s f o r i t s e l f what i t h a s to d o . I r e c o g n i s e t h a t , i f i t i s not w i s e , i t w i l l waste i n wrangle a b o u t o r g a n i s a t i o n tJTj& timc i t should g i v e t o i t s p r i n c i p a l duties. I r e c o g n i s o ^ t h a t t h e French a l s o want t o b e g i n w i t h Reglements and F r i n c i p o u . evolved a p r i o r i and w i t h an a p p e a r a n c e of symmetry,and h a v e a h o r r o r of l e a v i n g t h i n g s t o be s e t t l e d when t h e q u e s t i o n s a r i s e , b u t I d r e a d p r e m a t u r e o a s t - i r o n a r r a n g e m e n t s , and I d r e a d l e s t t h e s e D e l e g a t e s s h o u l d g e t t o be i n d e p e n d e n t of t h e i r Governments and become d e p e n d e n t on b u r e a u x and Committees, who w i l l j r e a l l y be r e s p o n s i b l e t o tobody b u t one a n o t h e r . 0 l Au t o (b) i 0 The ;:chomo in open t o c r i t i c i s m i n i t s - - d e t a i l - e of t h o S e r v i c e and D i v i s i o n s , as f o l l o w s The F i n a n c e S e r v i c e i s too i n d e f i n i t e t h e r e i s a good d e a l of o v e r l a p between t h e T r e a s u r y D i v i s i o n and t h e C a s h i e r s D i v i s i o n , , and t h e s e d e t a i l s of o f f i c e management c o u l d be b e t t e r s e t t l e d l a t e r on.. r I t does n o t go f a r enough on t h e o t h e r h a n d . VJhat D i v i s i o n w i l l d e a l w i t h t h e A s s e t s R e a l i s a t i o n b U b i n e s s , and what o r g a n i s a t i o n of a g e n t s and a d v i s o r s i s contemplated f o r t h i s important purpose ? How w i l l t h e d i f f e r e n t \7ar O f f i c e s keep t h e p e a c e w i t h t h e R e p a r a t i o n Commission^ i f i t s T r e a s u r y D i v i s i o n h a s more t h a n a formal connexion w i t h t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e Armies of O c c u p a t i o n $ a n d , , i f i t h a s n o t , , wlr does t h i s d e t a i l f i g u r e i n t h e scheme ? . The V a l u a t i o n S e r v i c e i n v o l v e a c o n s i d e r a b l e o v e r l a p , The v a l u e of many s e c u r i t i e s i s dependent on t h e v a l u e of t h e goods c h a r g e d . . The v a l u a t i o n of c l a i m s f o r damage t o p r o p e r t y I s c e r t a i n t o produce grounds f o r c o l l i s i o n w i t h t h e Labour & S u p p l i e s D i v i s i o n of p a r t 111, R e s t i t u t i o n and R e p a r a t i o n i n k i n d . . There i s no machinery f o r v a l u i n g t h e sums t o be allovred f o r l a b o u r . a n d m a t e r i a l s s u p p l i e d by Germany a g a i n s t t h e amount of t h e c l a i m s a d m i t t e d and p r o v e d a g a i n s t Germany.. There i s a l s o no machinery f o r d e a l i n g w i t h t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n and r e c o v e r y of s t o l e n a r t i c l e s , o t h e r t h a n o b j e c t s of a r t i s t i c , h i s t o r i c or s c i e n t i f i c i n t e r e s t , which a r e t o be p r o m p t l y r e t u r n e d t o t h e owners under the T r e a t y . . One of t h e g r e a t d a n g e r s t o which t h e Com­ miti13itaa w i l l he exposed i s l e a k a g e of i n f o r m a t i o n and c o r r u p t i o n of i n f e r i o r o f f i c i a l s , , E a r l y knowledge of what t h e Commission i s l i k e l y t o d o , . a n d i n d i r e c t means of i n f l u e n c i n g i t s d e c i s i o n s w i l l be sought a f t e r b y f i n a n c i e r s and o t h e r s e a g e r l y ^ .There w i l l be no l a c k of t e m p t a t i o n and some w i l l f a l l . , The Commission i n t h e l o n g r u n must g e t i t s own house i n o r d e r and keep a watch on i t s members, a s w e l l a s on i t s s e r v a n t s . , T h i s s c h e m e , . h o w e v e r , . h a s no s u g g e s t i o n s f o r t h i s indispensable service.. A f t e r a l l , . i f t h e Commission s t a r t s w i t h good men and p l e n t y of them and a good S e c r e t a r y , . a n d i f i t means b u s i n e s s I t s e l f , i t can always s h i f t i t s men a b o u t a n d ' b r i g a d e them a s r e q u i r e d . . Of c o u r s e , . i f e v e r y t h i n g i s t o be done on p r i n c i p l e s of equal r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , . and everybody i s q u i n t u p l i c a t e d e v e r y t i m e , t h e t h i n g w i l l n e v e r work... I do n o t see t h e o b j e c t of XV, Legal S e r v i c e , , What do t h e y want w i t h a l l t h e s e l a w y e r s ? I f t h e y cannot i n t e r p r e t the Reparation c l a u s e s themselves) . t h e D e l e g a t e s s h o u l d ask t h e i r Governments what t h e y want.. As t o L e g a l E x p e r t s i n v e s t i g a t i n g " f u t u r e s a n c t i o n i n c a s e s of n o n - f u l f i l m e n t of o b l i g a t i o n s u n d o r t h e T r e a t y " , t h i s i n v a d e s t h e S o v e r e i g n t y , of t h o N a t i o n s and s e t s up an i n d e p e n d e n t i n t e r n a t i o n a l t r i b u n a l by a s i d e wind, .which w i l l n e v e r d o , . As to (c) Great Britain at least must be free to employ as many men as she chooses and pay them what she likes. Are v;o to go without the best men, because Belgium adheres to a rate of pay that will not secure their services '? Are we to be restr cted in our choice of Delegates, becao.se we cannot equip our representative with as much assistance as lie needs and in any shape we choose ? All that is necessary is to limit the amount to bo claimed against Germany for expenses of tho Commission, so as to avoid a scramble among the powers to sec who can get most, Tt w i l l never do to conform to Continental patterns., instead of staffing our Delegation as wo think best, and at our own"expense, and so as to keep it subordinate to our own Government. (Sgd) Oth August, 1919, SUITER,