793.94 Commission/664: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 15—4 p.m.]
70. Reference our telephone conversation this afternoon. After its conclusion I spoke with Drummond just prior to convening of the [Page 430] Committee of Nineteen which he hoped would now agree upon a recommendation to the Assembly. I shall reserve specific comment until Drummond furnishes me a copy of the recommendation which he promised to do immediately after the meeting if it is successful in this regard.
Meanwhile you may wish to learn Drummond’s observations on the situation in general. He did not feel that the resolutions as at present phrased (portions of which I read over the telephone) were a weakening of the League’s positions since they were based upon the fundamentals of the question. He added that even the extremists such as Madariaga and Beneš did not feel that there was any weakening of the League position. The fact that the statement of reasons was not for adoption by the Assembly was necessarily because it would be impossible to get the Japanese to assent thereto. But their presentation before the Assembly as an expression of the Committee of Nineteen was not to be minimized. Drummond stated in this respect that he would suggest to the President of the Assembly to make a statement to the effect that all members of the League, with the exception of the parties to the dispute, will be in accord with the statement of reasons.
Drummond stated clearly the two alternatives with which he considered the League to be confronted, namely, recourse to conciliation as now presently being tried, with which he hoped Japan would concur; or recourse to a report and recommendations under paragraph 4 of article XV which would mean that Japan would leave the League. He felt it necessary to exhaust all efforts for action on the first alternative which would be based upon the March 11th resolution and uphold the treaty structure before proceeding to the second alternative which in the last analysis the League might be compelled to adopt.
In presenting your views I restated vigorously that the United States should in no wise be considered as soliciting membership on any conciliation committee, which Sir Eric said was thoroughly understood.