500.A16/72: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Belgium (Gibson)

[Paraphrase]

71. Wilson’s telegram No. 97, October 12, to Department in regard to next session of Commission on private manufacture of arms.69

The Department is giving consideration to Wilson’s suggestion and would like to have your opinion before coming to a decision.

Although the Department would have preferred that further meetings be postponed until there should be a greater prospect of an agreement, and although it is aware that participation in forthcoming session on December 5 will probably be futile as regards actual accomplishments, there are several reasons, nevertheless, which make doubtful the advisability of carrying out Wilson’s suggestions at present time. Among these the most important is the possibility which Wilson mentions in his last paragraph, that the United States may be blamed for failure to agree at next meeting. Press and public opinion might fail to discern distinction between political gathering and technical meeting, as Wilson suggests. Our nonparticipation, furthermore, would invite embarrassing comparisons with Soviet Government’s action in refusing to attend meetings of the Commission.

The press in this country and, it is believed, that of other countries also, has paid little attention to meetings of Commission, its successive failures so far having elicited little adverse comment. Decision on our part to withdraw would have immediate news value and would focus attention on futility of Commission’s labors, thus lending further color to Russian thesis.

Lastly, if Commission, in our absence, should reach some agreement not acceptable to this Government, it would be difficult to meet effectively the charge that after refusing to collaborate we were trying subsequently to render abortive the work accomplished without our participation.

Please telegraph Department your views as soon as possible on these points and on any others which may occur to you.

Clark
  1. By telegram No. 93, Oct. 16, 3 p.m. (not printed), the Department had instructed Mr. Wilson to repeat to Mr. Gibson his telegram No. 97, supra.