861.77 Chinese Eastern/229: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Blake) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:35 p.m.]
A responsible member of the League of Nations Secretariat who is always closely in touch with the Far East states that the Chinese-Russian situation is growing more acute and that consideration is being given some action by the League. No individual European state, in his opinion, is in a position, owing to the unsatisfactory state of relations with Russia, to offer effective intervention. He advocates the League’s acting prudently but firmly on a basis exclusively of the supple provisions in paragraph 1, article 11, and not articles 10 or 17.61 Should a crisis arise within the next few days, a special session of the League Council might be convened, with the support of the government representatives now at The Hague, rather than at the request of a single member. Should the crisis be delayed, the Council could consider the matter at its next regular session.
Some doubt is felt regarding Washington’s attitude in case of intervention by the League. The Secretariat member mentioned personally believes a frank appeal for cooperation in the interest of peace should be made to the United States by four or five members of the Council.
- Malloy, Treaties, 1910–1923, vol. iii, pp. 3329, 3339, 3341.↩