500.C001/1438: Telegram
The Consul General at Geneva (Tittmann) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 3—6 p.m.]
302. Reference my telegram No. 301, December 3, 1 p.m.2d Avenol has just told me that as a result of the appeal received from the Finnish Government under articles XI and XV of the Covenant2e he was convoking the Council for Saturday, December 9, and the Assembly for the following Monday, December 11. He felt certain that there would be a sufficient number of acceptances to ensure both meetings. Avenol envisaged that the first meeting of the Council would be merely a formal one to take note of the request of the Finnish Government and to refer the matter to the Assembly; that the Assembly thereupon would appoint a committee for consideration and report and that the Assembly would then vote upon the report and refer it to the Council which in turn would vote for the expulsion of Russia from the League in accordance with article XVI of the Covenant. Avenol said that although the Council was competent to take this action alone he preferred the foregoing procedure because the Assembly’s approval would carry far greater weight.
Avenol stated that, of course, there was a possibility that the governments represented would not have courage enough to take the necessary action for the expulsion of Russia but he did not think this situation would arise in view of the fact that unlike previous instances of aggression that had come before, the League opinion for such action seemed to be unanimous in the present case.
The Secretary General also told me that he had taken the initiative in bringing about the appeal of the Finnish Government which would not have been made without his encouragement. He was most anxious to have Russia’s expulsion take place. He felt that such action would serve to increase immeasurably the prestige of the League.
I understand that as a result of developments the Fourth Committee of the Assembly will not meet tomorrow as scheduled.
Repeated to Paris.
- Not printed.↩
- For text of the Covenant of the League of Nations, see Foreign Relations, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, vol. xiii, p. 69.↩