Reading treaty priorities from the delegates

Each government's choice of delegates provides a starting point for understanding its priorities at Washington. The final treaty records an agreement, but it does not explain every interest brought into the negotiations. The named signatories had larger national teams behind them, including advisers and agents whose roles the signature list does not show. Balfour, for example, signed for South Africa while a South African agent also attended. Political experience, diplomatic connections, and responsibility for particular departments help explain what each delegation was expected to protect.