Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1933, General, Volume I

500.A15A4 General Committee/471: Telegram

The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Acting Secretary of State

Geneva, June 7, 1933—7 p.m.
[Received 8:22 p.m.]

689. My 688, June 6, 8 p.m.

1. At this morning’s meeting of the General Commission⁶⁵ the discussion continued with regard to trade in and manufacture of arms, the Scandinavian countries advocating complete abolition of manufacture and stressing its evil effects. This was opposed by nearly all other speakers.

2. Nadolny stated that Germany was prepared to accept regulation of manufacture and traffic in arms if practical means could be devised which would be complementary to measures of real and effective disarmament. As far as the French amendments were concerned he felt that no decisions could be taken in this respect since the problem of qualitative limitation of material had not yet been settled. In the opinion of the German delegation the problem of stocks must likewise be considered in this connection and it might be that present stocks would have to be used up before states could receive any substantial quotas.

3. Sato for Japan opposed too strict an international control which in his opinion would tend to create ill feeling. He considered that a license system and adequate international publicity combined with efforts on the part of each government to regulate manufacture within its jurisdiction would provide the best means of solution.

4. The Italian representative pointed out that the French amendments raised a new problem of the greatest possible difficulty for the quota system would work to the advantage of the present heavily armed states which have large stocks and the defense measures of which has been completed. They would likewise tend to create a great measure of inequality between producing and non-producing states and increase the potential production of war material. In the opinion of his delegation the British draft as first presented formed a concrete whole and as such was accepted by Italy. The presentation of new articles such as the recent French amendments tended so to alter the fundamental structure of the British plan that it might be necessary if they were retained for the Italian delegation at the second reading to revise its original acceptance of the plan.

5. Eden who followed expressed his hearty accord with Davis’ remarks yesterday and stated that his delegation was prepared to accept measures of control through licenses and publicity operated through national rather than international agencies. Although reserving the position of the British delegation with regard to the French amendments with the second reading he expressed a measure of doubt as to their application. His delegation was apprehensive regarding the system of quotas suggested for he felt that the problem of stocks could not be ignored. He pointed out that those nations which at present have large stocks of war material might have to be content with smaller quotas at first as otherwise great injustice might be done. He concluded by pointing out that the greater the measures of disarmament that could be adopted the less necessary the measures for regulation of trade in and manufacture of arms became since the demand for new material would thus automatically be lessened.

6. In terminating the debate on this question Jouhaux pointed out that the French amendments raised no new idea because the problem of limitation and control of manufacture was automatically placed before the Commission when the problem of limitation of material was discussed. It was in this sense that the French amendments must be considered. France was prepared to accept whatever strict measures of limitation and control of private and state manufacture could be devised provided these were in conjunction with other provisions of the convention and carried out the essential connection between limitation of material and of manufacture.

7. Pointing out that no agreement which would permit either of the abolition of private manufacture or of internationalization of arms manufacture could be reached the rapporteur felt that the General Commission must be content with the strictest possible measure of supervision and regulation.

8. A resolution was then adopted by the General Commission entrusting the President with the negotiations necessary to prepare a text for the second reading.

9. Budgetary limitation follows next on the agenda of the General Commission but the discussion of that question will be interrupted at this afternoon’s meeting in order to allow time for a preliminary meeting of the Bureau.

Wilson

65. For minutes of the meeting, see Records of the Conference, Series B, Minutes of the General Commission, vol. ii, pp. 600–612.