500.C111/1134: Telegram
The Consul General at Geneva (Tittmann) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 14—6:50 p.m.]
324. The Assembly this morning adopted unanimously the resolution quoted in my telegram 322, December 13 with the following delegations abstaining: Switzerland, China, Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The Swedish delegate made the following reservation on behalf of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark: “Our delegations declare that they abstain from taking up a position with regard to the resolution insofar as it relates to a measure coming within the framework of the system of sanctions”.
The Swiss delegate after abstaining on the ground that Switzerland “could no longer participate in any manner in the application of those provisions of the Covenant relating to sanctions” added that the Swiss delegation was convinced that the assistance of the technical [Page 805] services of the Secretariat for the organization of assistance to Finland would not involve any activity on the territory of the confederation which would be incompatible with Swiss neutrality”.
The Dutch and Belgian delegates stated that they interpreted the assistance of the technical services of the Secretariat as an assistance to individual members of the League who desire to aid Finland and not as a collective action of the League.
The Mexican delegate expressed the sympathy of the Mexican Government with the cause of Finland and stated that the Mexican Government considers that the League “should give Finland all the assistance to which she is entitled”. He continued; “My Government nevertheless considers that not having contemplated exclusion in former cases it could not insofar as it is concerned approve this extreme sanction (exclusion of Russia) which moreover would put an end to all possibility of discovering within the framework of the League of Nations a pacific settlement favorable to Finland”. In conclusion he stated that “the Mexican delegation which has a profound respect for the opinions of the American States, and for those of the other states desires to emphasize the great importance which it attaches to the valuable collaboration of the states of the New World within the League of Nations”.
The Portuguese, Indian, Ecuadoran, French, British, and Polish delegates spoke in support of the resolution. The Chinese delegate made the following brief declaration: “Under the circumstances which you all know the Chinese delegation will abstain from taking part in the vote and in any phase of the report”.
This evening the Council adopted unanimously the following resolution with Greece, Yugoslavia, Finland and China abstaining:2n
“The Council.
Having taken cognizance of the resolution adopted by the Assembly on December 14, 1939 regarding the appeal of the Finnish Government.
- 1.
- Associates itself with the condemnation by the Assembly of the action of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics against the Finnish state and.
- 2.
- For the reasons set forth in the resolution of the Assembly. In virtue of article No. XVI, paragraph 4 of the Covenant.
Finds that by its act the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has placed itself outside the League of Nations it follows that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is no longer a member of the League”.
The following were the states voting for the resolution: Belgium, Bolivia, [United Kingdom], Dominican Republic, France, Union of South Africa and Egypt. The following members were absent: Russia, Iran and Peru. The Bolivian delegate as President of the [Page 806] Council2o closed the discussion by quoting a recent encyclical of Pius XII representing the principles on which the League of Nations is based.