500.A15 Arms Truce/33: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 23—12:24 a.m.]
154. At this afternoon’s meeting of Third Committee the President announced that replies to the invitation to non-members had been received from Costa Rica, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Russia. The first three have accepted and have sent representatives while the Argentine and Russia found it impossible to accept owing to the short notice given. In her answer Russia declared that she was ready to adhere to a truce agreement provided it covered all forms of armament and was obligatory as regards all states.
Representatives of Hungary, Austria, India, Denmark, South Africa and Germany spoke generally in favor of the truce proposal. The German representative stated that the proposal could only be considered by his Government as a temporary measure which should in no way diminish the obligation of states to disarm.
In view of the absence from the meeting of several principal delegates owing to the Sino-Japanese crisis I decided to speak at tomorrow’s meeting called for 3 o’clock.