Office of the Historian

793.94/2197: Telegram

The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, October 18, 1931—2 p.m.
[Received 2:20 p.m.]

215. Consulate’s 213, October 17, midnight. In a private meeting of the Council which was held at 11 a.m., this morning, the draft resolution cited in the Consulate’s telegram under reference was discussed.

The following changes were introduced:

  • [Paragraph] 1. “Normal relations between them, assumes that neither party” now reads “normal relations between them is confident that henceforward neither party.”
  • Paragraph 2 unchanged.
  • Paragraph 3. “This statement is in accordance with the terms of the Nine-Power Treaty” now reads “this statement is in accordance with the principle of article 10 of the Covenant and with the terms of the Nine-Power Treaty.”
  • Paragraph 4. “Restitution” now reads “restoration”; “adequately” is deleted.
  • Paragraph 5. “To begin immediately to proceed” now reads “to begin immediately and to proceed.”
  • Paragraph 6 unchanged.
  • Paragraph 7 was recast as follows:

    “Recommends that the Chinese and Japanese Governments should immediately appoint representatives to arrange the details of the [Page 232] execution of all points relating to the evacuation and the taking over of the evacuated territory so that this may proceed smoothly and without delay.”

  • Paragraph 8 now reads:

    “Places on record the formal undertaking of both parties to begin, on the day on which the evacuation is completed, negotiations on all the questions outstanding between the two Governments including especially the questions arising out of recent incidents and out of controversies about the railway situation in Manchuria.”

  • Paragraph 9 was eliminated.

Note: these changes were introduced in open discussion, and probably slight alteration in some of the wording may be made when a final English and French text is prepared. Such drafting changes will be however of no significance.

I am preparing a telegram respecting the discussion in this morning’s meeting with particular regard to the status and employment of this draft resolution.

Gilbert