Office of the Historian

500.A15A4 General Committee/664: Telegram

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

Geneva, November 20, 1933—9 p.m.
[Received November 20—8:30 p.m.]

791. My 789, November 19, 11 p.m.

1.
The same group met this afternoon at the Secretary General’s official residence in order to have freedom from newspaper observation, et cetera.
2.
Henderson, in opening the discussion, dwelt principally upon the necessity for reconsidering present methods of work, the necessity for letting bygones be bygones and doing everything possible to get Germany back to cooperating on disarmament.
3.
In the course of his remarks Henderson expressed satisfaction with the preliminary talk yesterday and intimated that he would be glad to have authoritative confirmation of the American and Italian statements if the respective representatives could give it. I therefore observed that my statement yesterday was in harmony with my Government’s point of view, that it went without saying that my Government would not wish to exert any pressure on any nation which was bearing a heavy burden of responsibility in these decisions. Parenthetically I took occasion to tell Massigli privately more in detail our point of view as set forth in your 391, November 19, 6 p.m.
4.
Soragna for his part confirmed the fact that his statement of yesterday was in conformity with the views of his Government.
5.
Boncour then discussed the question of the maintenance of our work on the present status of committees and rapporteurs. His general case was the desire which he felt imperative to avoid any action at this time which could be considered a rupture of the proceedings [Page 314] and thereby give Germany the satisfaction of believing that the action of one power could stultify the Conference. Attention should be paid to the reaction of the loyal powers who had continued in the Conference. They should not be given ground to believe that the work in which they were now engaged was to be altered in order to give satisfaction to the one power which had left the Conference. He felt that the League’s position was very much concerned with this point. Furthermore any delay at this time meant the acceleration of the rhythm of rearmament in Germany which would work contrary to our hopes for success since Germany’s interest in disarmament would be less and less as she achieved equality outside of the Conference.
6.
On the other hand Boncour expressed the opinion that German participation was of course desirable as her signature was necessary. He favored negotiation with Germany in the sense of speaking with her in the hope of having her back but not to let her think that her departure ruined the Conference. To permit Germany to have such a feeling might be fatal. As a matter of fact he did not have such hope of Germany’s renewed participation.
7.
After expressing the sympathy with which the United Kingdom delegation shared many of the preoccupations which Boncour had just expressed with regard to giving a preferential position to Germany Simon stated that there were certain practical considerations which he felt to be most important. He implied that the considerations were decisive. Could we expect in the circumstances to be ready in 2 weeks time to have a general commission meet with profit? He was violently opposed to adjournment pure and simple and had no such idea in his mind. He felt rather that the best possible use should be made of “parallel” work by communications among the various states concerned. Simon emphasized the practical aspect of the situation. When he spoke of parallel methods of negotiation he was not thinking so much of discussion with Germany as of consultation among the other powers, for example, between London and Paris, London and Rome, et cetera, in order to get matters decided which must be determined between France, Great Britian and Italy.
8.
During the interval for tea Simon made a rough draft of a formula for procedure in essence as follows:

That the Bureau should meet shortly when the President would state that he had ascertained that the work of the Conference would be assisted by parallel and supplementary effort between the various powers. It was therefore proposed that the efforts should at once be undertaken with energy. The President with the officers of the Bureau should decide how far the work of rapporteur and committees should be carried on meanwhile. The General Commission should meet after the January meeting of the Council at such a date as the President and officers of the Bureau should decide.

9.
There was general agreement with this suggested formula, it being understood that definite decision should await a final draft which was to be finished by 12 o’clock tomorrow when there would be a further and presumably final meeting of the present group.
10.
It was decided to issue a brief communiqué to the effect that the President after continuing the conversation of Sunday would call a meeting of the Bureau for Wednesday.
11.
As the Department will observe the discussion today swung away from the question so seriously considered at yesterday’s meeting as to the binding force of the modifications arrived at in the Paris conversations as confirmed at the Bureau meeting of October 14. Discussion today was almost entirely centered on the efficacy and adequacy of the present committee rapporteur form of procedure. When the French showed themselves strongly partisan of continuing the present method Simon made no further objection although the draft he submitted was undoubtedly designed to attenuate the present mandatory character of the committee rapporteur procedure. It seemed probable that Simon felt that yesterday’s meeting as well as doubtless private conversations which had ensued sufficiently refuted any idea of the maintenance of the binding character of the position taken by Great Britain and the other powers concerned in respect to the September and October modifications.
12.
Nothing definite was said respecting the details of the “parallel” work, whether these were to be solely between the chancelleries of the powers interested to head up eventually in the President of the Conference, et cetera, or to be participated in by him as these negotiations should progress.
Wilson