500.A15A4 Military Effectives/8: Telegram

The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Acting Secretary of State

176. Under instructions from the Secretary we have carefully explained in confidence the formula for effectives1 to the civilian and military representatives of France and then after waiting about a week to those of Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The French delegation brought General Gamelin Chief of Staff and General Requin to Geneva and they made an exhaustive study with the military members of our delegation. They offered certain obvious objections in which we were quite ready to acquiesce, such as that the factors taken were arbitrary and that the figures which we had used as the basis of our illustrations (Armaments Year Book) would have to be put on a comparable basis before anything more definite could be done. However, they expressed themselves as considering the plan very interesting and as offering a possible approach to the question of effectives. They have put the matter up to the Council [Page 116] of National Defence and are expecting an answer at any time. They state they have no idea as to whether or not the answer will be favorable but I gather that they have themselves made favorable recommendations.

The military representatives of the other delegations are now engaged in going into details with our technical advisers, and their civilian representatives at least have expressed themselves as favorably disposed toward discussion of the formula and agreed that the basic figures should be synchronized and for this purpose we are endeavoring to have a small committee set up to prepare a set of comparable figures.

As a result of certain injudicious talk an impression has got about here that the “American plan” consists in a set of figures by which we seek to prescribe the number of effectives “that each country may have”. While we have dispelled this idea from the minds of those with whom we have talked it still persists in the minds of others as we obviously cannot go into details with all the 54 delegations.

As matters now stand I feel that we should not much longer delay the presentation of the formula and that as soon as the General Commission reconvenes we should seek an occasion to make it public. Our decision may, however, be affected by the attitude adopted by the French as well as by arrangements for the conversations.

In order to dispel any false impressions as to the real significance of the plan it would probably be desirable to redraft the speech of explanation (latest text of which together with tables the Secretary is bringing with him) in such a way as to bring out more clearly at the start that what we seek to present is a plan which will be helpful in facilitating negotiations between neighbors and that there is no thought of prescribing the actual number of troops to be retained by different countries. The General Commission will probably not meet except for routine matters before the 22nd and I should be glad to have any guidance you may care to give as to the presentation of this plan. If we succeed in getting the acquiescence or approval of the great powers would the President be willing to have the authorship of this idea attributed to him?

Repeated to Vulcania.

Gibson
  1. For a general outline of the formula, see point 7 of Mr. Gibson’s speech on February 9, p. 29; also League of Nations, Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, Geneva, 1932, Conference Documents, vol. i, p. 139 (Official No: Conf. D. 85.).