793.94/2183: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 17—12:22 a.m.]
211. This evening’s session of the Council convened at 6 p.m. Briand presiding read my letter of acceptance. He then requested me to take my seat at the Council table. When I was seated he expressed the satisfaction which he and his colleagues felt in welcoming me among them “on the terms defined as between his Government and the Council of the League.” He continued:
“We are happy to see a public demonstration of the spirit of good understanding and loyal cooperation which has throughout conjoined the efforts of the United States Republic and the League of Nations since the inception of the present difficulties which are submitted to a procedure for pacific settlement.
It is the natural and practical outcome of that close associated solidarity which has existed harmoniously among them for a month past to the satisfaction of the two parties concerned. And is this not the first link which is being established between the United States and the League of Nations since the Pact of Paris placed on record our common determination to seek the solution of disputes by no other than pacific means?
The nations of the world that watch the progress of every world peace will not without emotion see the ranks of those who are anxious to prevent war being thus closed; they therefore consider that your presence here, Sir, is significant and symbolic of that public union between the greatest moral forces which are enlisted in this world in the cause of peace. They will welcome as a very great event, worthy in their eyes of justifying the greatest hopes, the fact that a noble nation—like the American nation—which is actuated by ideals of justice and peace, is bringing to the League of Nations the support of its great authority.
On behalf of all my colleagues I have the honor to welcome you at the same Council table.”
I replied:
“I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for the kind words you have spoken in your own name and in the name of the Council.
May I be permitted first to convey to you, Mr. President, the sentiments of deep admiration and respect which the Government and the people of the United States entertain towards you as the untiring artisan of peace and the co-author of the Pact of Paris. It is indeed a happy augury, Sir, that you should be presiding over the deliberations of this body at this time, and I wish to assure you of our deep gratification at being once more associated with you in the cause of peace.”
I then continued with my prepared statement (see Consulate’s 208, October 16, 5 p.m.).
[Page 216]Lord Reading expressed himself as concurring in the remarks made by Briand and continued:
“It must be a satisfaction to all of us who are members of the League of Nations to find ourselves associated on this very serious occasion with the representative of the United States, whose interest is in the Pact of Paris. It further shows most clearly that the objects of the Pact are the objects also pursued by the League of Nations, that is, the pacification of all controversies, instead of the arbitrament of war, is the main object not only of the Pact of Paris but also of the League.”
Grandi expressed his satisfaction at the presence of an American representative. The most important portion of his speech was as follows:
“The importance of this event will be obvious to everybody and I see in this a valuable earnest of the continuation and improvement of the cooperation which we desired from the outset and obtained from the outset and which I feel sure will undoubtedly facilitate the accomplishment of the important, difficult, and delicate task which the Council has to perform.
I also see in the presence of the American representative a cause of great rejoicing to us because it shows once again that the Government and the great people of the United States are always ready to work with us whenever the efforts of all nations have to be associated in order to solve difficulties and override obstacles which have a bearing on the interests of all her [sic] countries and of the peace of the world.
The representative of the American Government was invited to take his seat at our table because it was recognized that the question before the Council has a reference to the observance of the obligations arising not only out of the Covenant of the League of Nations but also out of the Pact of Paris, and because it was felt expedient that a representative of America should have an opportunity of expressing the opinion of his Government as to the manner in which, under present circumstances or in connection with future developments, effect might best be given to the provisions of the Pact of Paris. I am convinced that in taking that course the Council has acted with great wisdom. Not only as a signatory of the Pact of Paris, but as one of the promoters of that Pact, the Government of the United States is interested to a peculiar degree in the pacific settlement of the dispute now before us, in the same way as we are interested in it as signatories of the Covenant.
Since the 1930 Assembly the League of Nations has been seeking means of bringing into harmony the Covenant of the League and the Pact of Paris, and this bringing into harmony of the two instruments has been greatly desired in view of the fact that the two instruments have the same purpose or object; they are mutually complementary and consequently they are called on to operate on occasion in the same direction.
The presence here of the representative of the American Government proves to us that a harmony does in fact exist between the two [Page 217] instruments and therefore their respective signatories should and must work together.”
Von Mutius, Germany, expressed his satisfaction “at this demonstration of cooperation at the time when the question of the Pact has been brought up.”
De Madariaga made a speech of welcome in part as follows:
“The connection between our lines of work is obvious; if the juridical channels differ, the flow of good will that runs along them is evidently the same. There is no question about that; if there were the slightest difference in spirit between the Paris Pact and the Covenant, Mr. Briand would not have produced with Mr. Kellogg the Paris Pact.”
Matos, Guatemala, and Lester, Irish Free State, made statements expressing their satisfaction at the presence of an American representative.
Sokal, Poland, said in part as follows:
“In joining others, on behalf of my Government, in what has been said concerning the cooperation of the United States of America with the League, I should like to add that I feel sure that all those members of the League who are at the same time signatories of the Briand-Kellogg Pact regard it as absolutely essential to secure the closest possible cooperation of the United States of America, who are the promoters of that Pact. That Pact will shortly have to be brought into harmony with the Covenant of the League and I think that work will be greatly facilitated by the effective collaboration of the United States of America with the League of Nations.”
Garay, Panama, struck a different note from the other speakers, after referring to the ties which bind the United States and Panama and a formal word of welcome he concluded:
“I venture to express the hope that the cooperation of the United States of America may be soon transformed into a valuable association on a footing of equality with the other states here represented—such an association as the world has been awaiting and desiring for many a year.”
Fotitch, Yugoslavia; Sze, China; and Barreto, Peru, followed with brief statements associating themselves with the speakers who had preceded.
Thus all the members present except the representatives of Japan and Norway, expressed their satisfaction at the presence of an American representative. It is generally understood that Yoshizawa was instructed not to speak. It is reported that the representative of Norway abstained in order not to embarrass the representative of Japan by putting him in the position of being the only member of the Council to keep silence.
[Page 218]The President then called on me and I replied briefly expressing appreciation for the welcome which I had received from the Council. The Council then adjourned.