500.A15A4 Steering Committee/334: Telegram
The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Acting Secretary of State 86
[Received June 27—2:35 p.m.]
701. At the Bureau meeting this afternoon Henderson read a prepared statement outlining the procedure he proposed for the further progress of the Conference. The Bureau would recall he explained that he had been charged with negotiations to prepare for the second reading of the British draft.87 The preoccupations of the delegates in London had rendered it impossible for him to make sufficient progress to justify the preparation of that text at the present time. He had come to realize the importance of doing everything to harmonize existing differences before the second reading began. He therefore suggested that the Bureau might wish to recommend to the General Commission that it authorize him to continue this series of private negotiations and to convoke the General Commission and the Bureau only when greater measures of common accord had been achieved. If the state of the negotiations so permits it might be possible to convene the Bureau either at end of July or during the Assembly in September but he suggested that the definite date of October 16 be set for the reconvening of the General Commission. At that time a definite text for the second reading he hoped could be presented.
Nadolny urged the continuation of the work of the Conference since he feared that further attempts at private negotiations would fail as had Henderson’s efforts in London. Eden and Massigli both supported the President’s proposal at the same time stating that their Governments desired this period for conversations and direct negotiations between the governments. Nadolny asked the President what assurances he had that the states were willing to enter into these conversations [Page 199] and Henderson replied that the two states whose representatives had spoken had given such assurances as well as the representatives of the United States and the Little Entente. Nadolny thereupon declared that while he still thought it preferable to begin the second reading he would not oppose the wishes of the Bureau and that he considered the statements given by the representatives of Great Britain and France were evidences of their willingness to enter into such conversations.
No one else took part in these discussions.
The meeting of the General Commission is called for Thursday June 29, morning, to receive the recommendations of the Bureau.