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(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,