Office of the Historian

793.94/2681: Telegram

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

Geneva, November 14, 1931—2 p.m.
[Received 2:32 p.m.]

309. 1. Drummond and that portion of the Secretariat staff having to do with the Sino-Japanese question move to Paris this evening. They will occupy quarters in the Quai d’Orsay.

2. Beginning this afternoon no further communiqués on this subject will be issued in Geneva. They will be issued in Paris beginning the morning of November 16.

3. I have just had a talk with Drummond, the essential points of which are as follows.

[Page 441]
  • [Paraphrase.] (a) While Drummond personally sees the Japanese position unchanged, he notes that press statements under London, Paris, and Washington date lines are all optimistic, which he trusts means an improvement.
  • (b) The situation still depresses the Chinese very much.
  • (c) Drummond feels that, although the term “immediate security” is perhaps too restrictive, it would, nevertheless, be taking a backward step of a stultifying sort to advocate negotiating directly on points which do not bear closely upon immediate security if the Japanese remain in occupation of Chinese territory, and this would seriously affect the international political situation, particularly disarmament projects, since in the policies of many states disarmament is allied closely with security. Drummond believes also that the Chinese would not accept such an arrangement. [End paraphrase.]
  • (d) No matter what the results may be of the meeting in Paris, the question will undoubtedly be continued in Geneva after that meeting. If the results in Paris are unsatisfactory, it will continue under article 11 or under some other article of the Covenant. If the Paris meeting results in a project for Japanese evacuation and other measures agreed to by the powers and by the disputants, Geneva will unquestionably play an important part in the implementing of such a project.

4. I am repeating this telegram by mail, together with all other pertinent telegrams to date to Paris.

Gilbert