560.M3/34: Telegram
The Chief of the American Delegation (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:37 p.m.]
3. In today’s meeting Colijn held Conference strictly to immediate business and gave no opportunity for remarks of a general nature. He called states alphabetically who had made reservations since November 8th and requested them to state:
- (a)
- Whether they maintained those reservations;
- (b)
- Whether those reservations were in effect before November 8th, 1927 (see [annex to] article 6, first paragraph);32 or
- (c)
- To make such explanation and defense of the reservations as seemed desirable.
Considerable debate developed on procedure and whether Conference could give assurance to states that certain exceptions were covered by specific articles other than article 6. In the light of your instructions, I advocated giving such assurances in specific border[line] cases but I was unable to obtain complete acceptance of this view. The Conference finally decided that lacking full facts and under limited terms of reference no such assurance could be given and that claims for exception which seemed to be covered by other sections of the convention must be thrown out as not admissible to discussion under article 6. Thus the petitioner would have a clear indication of the opinion of the Conference, while the Conference would have committed itself to no affirmative interpretation.