Office of the Historian

793.94 Commission/741: Telegram

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

Geneva, January 16, 1933—9 p.m.
[Received January 16—8:06 p.m.]

78. Since receipt of your 1 to Berne6 I have talked to both Hymans and Drummond along the lines of the aforementioned telegram and your other instructions.

The situation at present appears to be that during the absence of Matsuoka,7 Sugimura8 prepared a draft of resolution and statement of reasons which he thought might be acceptable to the Committee of Nineteen and to the Japanese and Chinese. Certain suggestions for changes were made by Drummond and the text submitted to his Government by Matsuoka. The general opinion [is that] this text is [Page 93] now under consideration in Tokyo where it is to be presented to the Emperor. It is hoped that the answer will be made known to the Committee of Nineteen on Wednesday9 or Thursday.

I have not seen the text. According to Drummond it retains the essence though changing the form of the original proposal of the Committee of Nineteen and provides as a basis for disposing the nine points of chapter 9 of the Lytton Report. Drummond states further that the resolution provides for the setting up by the Committee of Nineteen of a small conciliation committee to which may be invited non-member states (no special reference being made to the United States and Russia).

Drummond believes that there is very slight hope of acceptance by the Japanese Government but both he and Hymans are convinced that every effort towards conciliation must be made in order to forestall if possible the menace of a real war in the Far East. He much fears that before many days have passed the Committee of Nineteen must proceed under paragraph 4 of article 15 which will probably mean the retirement from the League of Japan.

Also according to Drummond there is no question of a weakening of attitude on the part of either France or England. These two states are determined that unless a satisfactory basis of conciliation can be found they must proceed under paragraph 4 and at all costs maintain intact the Covenant of the League. Drummond strongly affirms that this is his view; that League has no intention of departing from the principles involved.

I am lunching tomorrow with Matsuoka and shall report any further information.

Wilson
  1. Dated January 13, 7 p.m., p. 61.↩
  2. Yosuke Matsuoka, Japanese chief delegate, League of Nations.↩
  3. Yotaro Sugimura, Japanese Under Secretary-General, League of Nations Secretariat.↩
  4. January 18.↩