500.A15A4 General Committee/217: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 18—2:40 p.m.]
578. My 569, March 17, noon. There are in the MacDonald draft certain outstanding omissions in regard to which an effort will undoubtedly be made to insert provisions during the course of the general debate or in the committees. We have drawn up a preliminary list of these as follows:
As regards security the omission of any provision to meet the French Government claim for a system of mutual assistance is, of course, intentional and need receive no further comment. In spite of the reference in MacDonald’s speech to “neutral rights” the draft makes no mention at all of this problem nor of the no-force pact.
We have already commented on the lack of any measures of quantitative limitation or reduction, particularly with reference to heavy guns and tanks. Even outside these categories no reference whatever is contained to any limitation to be imposed upon other land material.
Five articles in blank have been left for exchange of information. Whether it is proposed under this heading to draw up a publicity list for all categories of material is as yet unsettled. The references in the draft are to articles 33 and 34 of the Preparatory Commission draft concerning naval vessels but it seems likely that either a provision along the lines of article 33 of the draft convention may be envisaged for this section or an effort may be made to include definite lists of material in service and stocks.
With reference to budgetary limitation or publicity on expenditure the Technical Committee has been working upon its report for approximately [Page 63] 12 months. We understand the report91 is now in its second reading and in the opinion of its authors provides a satisfactory solution for the difficulties involved in any method of applying limitation on expenditure. A determined effort to insert some of the conclusions of the experts’ work is to be expected.
Likewise, the British draft makes no provision for any form of regulations either of manufacture of or trade in arms in spite of the decision of the Bureau of the Conference to include stipulations of this nature in the treaty. It is anticipated, however, that the Convention of 192592 as it will be amended will form an annex. The Committee on Manufacture of Arms hopes to be able to prepare a similar convention also as an annex to the treaty. It is difficult, however, to see how this may be done without decisions by the Conference upon publicity of material.
This list is a preliminary one drawn up after a first study of the draft and contains only the most apparent omissions. Undoubtedly others will be found by different delegations who will attempt to insert additional provisions.
- For text of the report, see Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, National Defence Expenditure Commission, Report of the Technical Committee, vol. i (Official No.: Conf. D. 158).↩
- Foreign Relations, 1925, vol. i, p. 61.↩