710.G Economic and Financial Problems/12: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Hull) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 16—2:50 a.m.]
59. For the President and Phillips. The Ninth Committee in Plenary Conference unanimously recommended favorable action by [Page 190] Conference on my economy resolution. There were some three or four reservations with respect to favored-nation provisions in proposal. Same favorable sentiment is understood to exist in the plenary session which assures its passage there.
The resolution calling on all governments which had not done so to adhere to the five peace pacts previously mentioned in my telegrams and introduced at my request by Dr. Saavedra Lamas likewise passed the First Committee unanimously this afternoon. We had a really wonderful peace meeting and the indications are that most countries will sign up these treaties which will aggregate some 15 to 20 signatures thus virtually completing the signatures and placing all the treaties in strong operation. Good feeling extended to every state delegation at adjournment this afternoon.
Just prior to adjournment a resolution was unexpectedly laid before the Committee by the Chairman, Cruchaga, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, which purported to place the Conference on record as supporting the League of Nations in the application of the Covenant to the Bolivian-Paraguay controversy. It was not possible during the brief interval that the matter was pending to translate it and get at its actual significance. I shall confer with the author in the morning and with as little publicity as possible will urge that before the resolution is acted upon by the Plenary Conference tomorrow the provisions be so restricted as to confine its scope to nations within the League and the four nations contiguous to Bolivia and Paraguay. If you have any suggestion in the forenoon tomorrow kindly advise.
The President’s telegram to the President of the Conference was read during the discussion of the Chaco situation as well as similar telegrams from Presidents of Brazil, Chile and Colombia.