893.114 N 16 Manchuria/28: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State

197. My 195, June 1, 2 p.m.

1.
The subcommittee met this morning and discussed (1) a draft of a circular to members of the League with regard to nonrecognition of Manchukuo dealing with the subject of adherence to international conventions, passports, consular officials, et cetera, and (2) the opium importation situation.
2.
Regarding (1) the subcommittee adopted a draft report which will shortly be submitted to the committee itself for approval.63 A mailed despatch is going forward on this subject.64 Regarding (2) after discussion of several alternative methods of dealing with the [Page 352] matter the Secretary General suggested intermediate method as follows:
3.
In the event a firm wished to export to Manchukuo it should produce an import license therefrom. Then the exporting country, if the firm was in good repute, could simply take note of the fact that the firm had this import license from Manchukuo, could issue an export license to the firm but not send a copy of the export license to Manchukuo. The Secretary General believed that such a procedure was covered by article 18 of the Geneva Opium Convention of 1925.
4.
In putting forward this suggested procedure the Secretary General expressed himself as believing that a straight-out application of the import and export certificate system to Manchukuo on the same lines as they are now applied in the case of China would be an indirect recognition of Manchukuo and therefore not desirable.
5.
After a certain amount of fencing by the British and French representatives there was general agreement that the subcommittee should propose the procedure proposed by the Secretary General to the Advisory Committee at a meeting on Wednesday, June 7.
6.
I shall take no part in the discussion at this meeting unless otherwise instructed.
Wilson
  1. Adopted June 7, 1933, League of Nations, Official Journal, Special Supp. No. 113, p. 11.
  2. Not printed.