500.A15A4 Permanent Disarmament Commission/17: Telegram
The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 12—8:50 a.m.]
448. In the meeting of the Bureau this morning the Drafting Committee referred to in my 447, November 11, 8 p.m.,19 introduced the following proposed text dealing with sanctions paragraph 2, part 4, of the conclusions of the report.
“The declaration of the Permanent Disarmament Commission establishing the fact of the use of chemical, incendiary, or bacteriological weapons, shall have the following effects:
1. Third states shall individually be under an obligation to bring pressure to bear, chosen according to circumstances, and notably according to the special situation in which they are placed in relation to the belligerents, upon the state which has used the chemical, incendiary, or bacteriological weapons, to induce it to give up the use of the said weapons or to deprive it of the possibility of continuing to use them.
2. A consultation shall be held among third states through the agency of the Permanent Disarmament Commission at the earliest possible moment to determine what joint steps shall be taken and to decide on the joint punitive action of every description to be taken.
These decisions shall be taken by a majority vote (character of the majority to be decided by the General Commission). The minority shall not be bound but it shall be under an obligation not to hinder the action of the majority.
The Permanent Disarmament Commission shall be entitled to take in advance all preparatory measures with a view to the possible application of the decisions referred to in the foregoing paragraph.
3. Third states situated in a given region may further pledge themselves to undertake jointly and as rapidly as possible severe punitive action against the delinquent state and for this purpose to create beforehand a joint police force.
[Page 375]4. The state against which chemical, incendiary, or bacteriological weapons have been employed shall in no circumstances retaliate by the use of the same weapons”.20
I made general reservation. Report of debate follows in my 449.