793.94 Commission/754: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 20—6:36 p.m.]
83. My 82, January 18, 11 p.m. The following summarizes the confidential memorandum from Sweetser covering discussions in this afternoon’s meeting of the Committee of Nineteen.
No definite reply from the Japanese Government to the specific question put by the Committee of Nineteen on Wednesday as to whether Japan would accept the Committee’s original proposal if the invitation to the nonmember states was omitted having been received, the Committee determined to adjourn all discussion of substance until a formal reply could be received. The Japanese delegation had submitted certain recent amendments but since these had not been approved by Tokyo it was decided that the Committee should take no action upon them.
Rather than to adjourn without further discussions the question was raised whether the Committee might not now begin to consider the report which would be necessary under paragraph 4 of article 15 if conciliation failed. It was thought that the time had come when the Committee of Nineteen should envisage this possibility but, rather than institute discussions of procedure as to what method might be adopted in this contingency, it was decided to postpone at least until tomorrow’s meeting further consideration of the preparation of the report and to refrain from circulating a draft which had been confidentially prepared by the Secretariat of the League. In particular the British member felt it was important that a general discussion of the principles to be inserted therein should precede the examination of any text.
Tonight Hymans and Drummond will inform the Chinese of the recent developments in the Committee and will also urge again upon the Japanese delegation the importance of obtaining a reply from their Government as soon as possible.