511.3 B 1/156: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Herrick ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 28—3:49 p.m.]
158. From Grew. My 143, March 25, 11 a.m.
1. Subcommission adjourned today after eight meetings. Draft convention for the control of the traffic in arms and munitions has been revised substantially to meet the views expressed in the Department’s several instructions. This effort culminated in the unanimous adoption of an amendment proposed by Cecil providing that,
“Any state may with the consent of the other High Contracting Parties notify its partial or conditional adherence to the provisions of the treaty provided that such conditions or partial adherences do not affect the effectiveness of the supervision of the traffic in arms.”
This draft convention will be further considered and if necessary revised by the plenary session of the, Temporary Mixed Commission which meets at Geneva on June [12?] before being submitted to the Council of the League and eventually to an international conference for the purpose of negotiating a final convention.
2. Separate draft convention for the control of private manufacture of arms and munitions was only briefly discussed. It was referred for further revision to a small drafting committee which will report to the Temporary Mixed Commission on June 30. During this brief discussion I explained our constitutional limitations as indicated in point 1 of the Department’s 22 to Berne. Cecil asked if there were any constitutional difficulties which would prevent Federal legislation in the United States with a view to obtaining for publication statistical information respecting production by private manufacture in the various States of the Union. I replied that I should be glad to refer this question to my Government. If the Department considers it desirable to convey the requested information to the drafting committee through the legation at Berne it will be appreciated by the committee.
Full written report with documents follows.30
- Not printed.↩