Memorandum:
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1. It is Mr. Balfour who inisisted upon the sdisposal of the Shantung question which appears in Articles 156, 157, and 158 of the Peace Treaty with Germany.
2. Shortly after the day of the signing of the treaty, or on about July 1 or 2, Mr. Lansing gave Mr. Balfour a copy of the draft of proposals which he (Mr. LansingRobert Lansing) haed submitted to Baron Makino. He asked Mr. Balfour to bring the matter to the attention of Mr. Clemenceau and this Mr. Balfour undertook to do. Several days laters, on July 5, I had a conference with Mr. Kerr, Mr. Balfour's secretary, Mr. Keerr had at that time heard nothing of the matter, but promised to speak to Mr. Balfour about it. On July 7 Mr. Kerr told me that he had talked with Mr. Balfou; that Mr. Balfour said he was favorable of Japan's being persuaded to make a declaration, that if they refused the other Allies might make public the assurances which had been given to the Council, but that he did not see how the Japanese could be asked to add anything to what they had promised the Council.On about July 10, Mr. LansingRobert Lansing himself spoke to Mr. Clemenceau about the matter and gave him a copy of the draft.
On July 17 Mr. Balfour asked Mr. White for a second copy of the draft. (This was after the London Foreign Office had asked the British Delegation in Paris for information about the matter).On July 19 Mr. Balfour talked with Dr. Koo in a manner tending to give the impression that he had given no particular attention to the subject. He said the Council might find it advisable to publish the assurances which Japan had made to the Council.On about July 17 Mr. Balfour promised to send Mr. White a memorandum on the subject. On July 21 this memorandum has not yet appeared.
I beg to suggest:That it should be undertaken to secure from Mr. Balfour an explicit statement, in which he shall either decline to act in support of the American effort or shall agree to act, shall say what he will do and within what time he will do it.
