710.G International Law/2: Telegram

The Chairman of the American Delegation (Hull) to the Acting Secretary of State

38. Referring to chapter II of agenda, the set-up is as follows:

1.
This chapter has been put in charge of the Second Commission of the Conference.
2.
The Commission has been divided into subcommittees as follows.
(a)
First subcommittee—methods for the requested codification of international law;
(b)
Second subcommittee topic 6a;
(c)
Third subcommittee topics 6b–c;
(d)
Fourth subcommittee topics 6d–e–f;
(e)
Fifth subcommittee topics 6g and 7.
We have a place on the first and third subcommittees.
3.
We have information that the fifth subcommittee will report irreconcilable differences on topic 6g.
4.
After meeting today of third subcommittee Sierra (Mexico) suggested we might be able to incorporate in an agreement those principles [Page 169] of state responsibility which had been agreed to among the delegates at the 1930 Hague Conference on codification of responsibility of states.15 He gave as an example of what he had in mind, the responsibilities of states in civil wars, upon which question he said all states were in agreement at The Hague.
5.
Will Department give views on wisdom of making any agreement of the kind suggested and give list of questions considered at The Hague, which might be incorporated in such an agreement.
6.
Delegation has here the following: bases of discussion drawn up for the Conference by the Preparatory Committee (Geneva 1929) and volume 4—minutes of the third committee—of The Hague Conference for the Codification of International Law.
7.
In answering number 5 above please give numeral and page references to publications listed in 6 (see pages 39, 52 and 53 of instructions to delegates to this Conference16).

Hull
  1. See “Conference for the Codification of International Law, Held at The Hague, March 13–April 20, 1930, and Text of Protocol Relating to Military Obligations in Certain Cases of Double Nationality”, Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, pp. 204 ff.
  2. Ante, pp. 65, 72, and 73.