793.94/1839: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:45 p.m.]
126. At the end of the Council’s session this afternoon the President of the Council, the representative of Spain, asked if some of his colleagues would meet with him to consider certain steps which might be taken in the present situation. In conformity with this request the President met with the representatives of Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan and China. While this group was not formally constituted as a Council committee it is in effect a committee.
[Page 36][Paraphrase.] It is learned from confidential sources that the discussion centered chiefly on the advisability of sending to the disturbed area an investigation commission of military officers to report on the factual situation; that agreement with this course was expressed by the Chinese representative; but that time to query his Government was asked by the Japanese representative. Now apparently the committee is waiting for a Japanese reply.
It is currently rumored that the committee also discussed the question of an invitation to the United States to take part in this investigating commission and that this course was favored by a majority of the committee members. [End paraphrase.]