793.94 Commission/460: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:50 p.m.]
307. Department’s 163, October 14, 6 p.m.
1. League of Nations officials object strongly in principle to changes of any nature being made in the Lytton report at the insistence of governments. They are fearful of precedents being set which would permit of attacks on the integrity of the report it being recognized that it doubtless contains many “facts” which could be made subjects of controversy.
2. Fortunately, however, it having been planned that the League-revised edition would contain certain “Lytton corrections” (Consulate’s 283, October 4, 3 p.m.,93 fifth paragraph) Drummond consented to communicate with Lytton suggesting that Lytton himself make also the correction desired by the Department. Lytton has just replied agreeing to this.
3. In the revised League edition the pertinent phrase on page 34, paragraph 3, of the present edition will be amended as follows: delete [Page 304] “had been proposed by the United States of America”, insert “had been decided on”.
This change will also be noted in the list of “errata” (Consulate’s 290, October 7, 6 p.m.,94 paragraph 2).
Under these circumstances it is not expected the change will provoke comment but in particular it is desired that the American Government’s part in this matter be kept confidential.
4. In taking up this matter with the League official concerned I not only was able to cite the Foreign Relations of the United States from the references furnished by the Department but I was also able to strengthen my contention through having learned in a private conversation with General McCoy that he had made this same change in correcting his draft copy of the report (Consulate’s 283, October 4, 3 p.m., third paragraph) but that apparently through inadvertence this correction was not incorporated in the signed copies.