292     THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE, 1919, VOLUME V


through his Relief Agencies. Mr. Hoover was afraid of a collapse in
Austria. He asked if General Franchet D'Esperey commanded the
armies in that region.
M. CLEMENCEAU said that General Graziani2 was now in command
there.
MR. LLOYD GEORGE suggested that M. Bratiano might be invited to
attend and asked to stop the Roumanian aggressive movement.
PRESIDENT WILSON suggested that in view of the pressure of time
it might be better to send him a joint letter.
M. CLEMENCEAU thought it would be best to hear M. Bratiano for
ten minutes after which a letter might be sent.
PRESIDENT WILSON suggested that the Austrians might be invited
for the 15th May.
MR. LLOYD GEORaE said there was not a great deal to be settled
now with the Austrian Treaty.
PRESIDENT WILSON said it was particularly confined to questions
of boundaries, which were in process of settlement and the proportion
of Austria's debt to be borne by the States formerly constituting the
Austro-Hungary Empire.
MR. LLOYD GEORGE said that he was not sure if the proportions
could not be fixed. His view was that general principles should be
stated first, and then a Commission should be set up to work out
details. The calculation was a very difficult one involving not only
the population but also the wealth of the country.
PRESIDENT WILSON agreed that the best plan would be to get a
Commission set up.
This question was then dropped without any actual decision being
taken.
4. The Council had before them a document prepared by the Sec-
retary General assisted by the United States, British
A Communication  and Japanese Secretaries (Appendix II).
of the PreliminarY
of Peace to the  5. The first proposal for an examination of cre-
German
Delegates     dentials by an Examining Commission presided [over]
Examination of  by M. Jules Cambon was approved.
Credentialsy
The proposal that the President of the Conference
should determine the date and hour of the examination as soon as the
German Delegates arrived was also agreed to.
6. It was pointed out that the question of the recognition of the
Jugo-Slavs was raised by the suggestion that the Ger-
Yugo-Slave    mans might ask for an examination of the Allies
credentials.
PRESiENT WILSON said that the United States had already recog-
nised Jugo-Slavia.
2Gen. J. C. Graziani, of the French Army.