Each of the Governments represented on the Commission shall have the right to withdraw after giving twelve months’ notice to the Commission and confirming it six months after the date of the original notification.
3.
Such of the Allied and Associated Powers as may be interested shall have the right to name a Delegate to be present and act as assessor only while their respective claims and interests are under examination or discussion, but without the right to vote.
The Section to be established by the Commission under Article 163 shall include representatives of the following Powers: The United States of America, Great Britain, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Roumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State and Czecho-Slovakia. This composition of the Section shall in no way prejudge the admissibility of any claims. In voting the representatives of the United States of America, Great Britain, France and Italy shall each have two votes.
The representatives of the five remaining Powers mentioned above shall appoint a Delegate to represent them all, who shall sit on the Reparation Commission in the circumstances described in paragraph 2 of the present Annex. This Delegate, who shall be appointed for one year, shall be chosen successively from the nationals of each of the said five Powers.
4.
In the case of death, resignation or recall of any Delegate, Assistant Delegate or Assessor, a successor to him shall be nominated as soon as possible.
5.
The Commission shall have its principal permanent bureau in Paris, and shall hold its first meeting in Paris as soon as practicable after the coming into force of the present Treaty, and thereafter will meet in such place or places and at such time as may be deemed convenient and as may be necessary for the most expeditious discharge of its duties.
6.
At its first meeting the Commission shall elect from among the Delegates referred to above a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, who shall hold office for a year and shall be eligible for re-election. If a vacancy in the chairmanship or vice-chairmanship should occur during the annual period, the Commission shall proceed to a new election for the remainder of the said period.
7.
The Commission is authorised to appoint all necessary officers, agents and employees who may be required for the execution of its functions, and to fix their remuneration; to constitute Sections or Committees, whose members need not necessarily be members of the Commission, and to take all executive steps necessary for the purpose of discharging its duties; and to delegate authority and discretion to officers, agents, Sections and Committees.
8.
All the proceedings of the Commission shall be private unless on particular occasions the Commission shall otherwise determine for special reasons.
9.
The Commission shall be required, if the Hungarian Government so desire, to hear within a period which it will fix from time to time evidence and arguments on the part of Hungary on any questions connected with her capacity to pay.
10.
The Commission shall consider the claims and give to the Hungarian Government a just opportunity to be heard, but not to take any part whatever in the decisions of the Commission. The Commission shall afford a similar opportunity to the allies of Hungary when it shall consider that their interests are in question.
11.
The Commission shall not be bound by any particular code or rules of law or by any particular rule of evidence or of procedure, but shall be guided by justice, equity and good faith. Its decisions must follow the same principles and rules in all cases where they are applicable. It will establish rules relating to methods of proof of claims. It may act on any trustworthy modes of computation.
