500.A15A4 General Committee/32: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received April 20—10:55 a.m.]
131. This morning when the American proposal No. 7 was reached on the agenda we decided to pass it over for the present as the Secretary is having certain conversations with the French and these will be followed by others with various delegations in order to give possible chance of a favorable reception to the idea.
Therefore I spoke to the following effect. I stated that when in my opening speech I had made the proposal with regard to the computation of armed forces on the basis of those necessary for police purposes and those for defense I had hoped that the Conference would have arrived at a point where further analysis of this subject [Page 96] would be useful. In view, however, of the fact that the studies by our delegation had not been completed and as there had been no time as yet for discussion with other delegations it would appear wiser to postpone this discussion. I further expressed the view that as this type of analysis of armed forces was germane to any discussions of the problem of effectives I hoped that the Conference would be glad to hear our views. These would be presented when they have been perfected by consideration of the special circumstances and obligations which affected many of the states represented with regard to the relation which their respective armed forces bore one to another. I concluded by saying that in yielding the place occupied by our proposal on the agenda I felt I was acting in a spirit compounded of desire to make every suggestion helpful at the time of its introduction and to be sure that it would be worked out on the broadest possible basis.
The Commission accepted my proposal unanimously.