793.94 Commission/667: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 15—9:50 p.m.]
73. Sweetser, who was present at the secret meeting of the Committee of Nineteen this afternoon, has given an account substantially as follows:
Carton de Wiart of Belgium read and explained the two documents transmitted in my numbers 71 and 73 [72].
Lange of Norway congratulated the subcommittee and thought that the documents were very skillfully drawn but he feared that they concealed the substance under the form and would be disappointing to the public. However, he accepted them.
Undén of Sweden agreed with the subcommittee’s report. He asked if the “Statement of reasons” was to be voted by the Assembly or only by the Committee. He asked what would happen if the Japanese did not accept the Committee of Nineteen’s draft resolution or if the United States and Russia refused the invitation to participate.
Beneš agreed with the report but explained that it was conciliation. He thought that the report was the best possible at the moment; that it contained all that could now be expected.
Lester, Ireland, asked whether if the resolution was not accepted the Committee would reserve its right to act.
The Turkish representative wanted the Kellogg-Briand Pact stressed on account of the United States and Russia.
Carton de Wiart, Drummond and Beneš ruled as follows:
- (a)
- The statement was to be presented by the Committee of Nineteen to the Assembly, not put to a vote in latter body, but the President of the Assembly would state that unless some one objected it would be assumed that the states other than the parties to the dispute agreed;
- (b)
- If Japan or China blocked unanimity on the resolution the [Page 434] Committee would be free to act and would not be forced further back but could proceed under paragraph 4, article 15;
- (c)
- The resolution and statement of reasons were drafted particularly in consideration of the difficulties as regards the United States and Russia. The Committee was one of conciliation only and could and would function even if one or both of these two countries refused the invitation.
It was agreed that the President and the Secretary General would approach the parties to the dispute tonight who would be expected to cable at once for instructions. It was anticipated that the Chinese and Japanese delegations would present at once some observations to the Drafting Committee which would meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss them. It was recognized that full observations could not be expected for 48 hours, hence the Assembly would not meet before Monday.70
Assuming that the complete observations of the two delegations would be available in 48 hours, the Drafting Committee would meet again Saturday or Sunday to decide whether these objections merely entailed drafting changes and as such were acceptable or whether these objections were so fundamental that nothing could be done about it. In the latter case the Committee of Nineteen would be called again to see if it should proceed under paragraph 4.
Carton de Wiart expressly emphasized confidential nature of these documents and urged all members so to regard them.
A communiqué by the Committee of Nineteen was subsequently issued as follows:
“The Committee of Nineteen met this afternoon to consider the conclusions of its Drafting Committee which it approved. It authorized the President and the Secretary General to get in touch with the two parties to the dispute in regard to them.”
- December 19.↩