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

500.A14/616: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the American Delegate (Wilson)

Washington, January 18, 1933—2 p.m.

279. Department’s 276, January 11, 5 p.m.⁸ There seems to be no likelihood that the Arms Traffic Convention will be considered by the Senate⁹ during the present session. You should make every effort to have provisions of the general nature of those contained in Chapters I and II of that Convention incorporated in the General Disarmament Convention, or should more far reaching provisions be proposed, we are prepared to give them sympathetic consideration.

The Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate has reported out unanimously a Joint Resolution¹⁰ providing in part “that whenever the President finds that in any part of the world conditions exist such that the shipment of arms or munitions of war from countries which produce these commodities may promote or encourage the employment of force in the course of a dispute or conflict between nations, and, after securing the cooperation of such governments as the President deems necessary, he makes proclamation thereof, it shall be unlawful to export, or sell for export, except under such limitations and exceptions as the President prescribes, any arms or munitions of war from any place in the United States to such country or countries as he may designate, until otherwise ordered by the President or by Congress.”

Stimson

8. Post, p. 358.
9. For correspondence regarding efforts to secure from Congress authority for the President to impose an arms embargo under certain conditions, see pp. 356 ff.
10. Senate Joint Resolution 229, Congressional Record, vol. 76, pt. 2, p. 2096. This joint resolution as well as House Joint Resolution 580 failed of enactment prior to adjournment of the 72d Congress, March 4, 1933. For action upon arms embargo legislation in the 1st session, 73d Congress, see telegram No. 347, June 1, to the American delegate, p. 378.