500.A15A4 General Committee/975: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 11—2:50 p.m.]
892. My 889, June 9, 2 p.m. The General Commission adopted the program of work this afternoon.22 As regards the security committee section II, part 1 (a) of resolution, the membership of which will comprise all European states, both Italy and Hungary limited their role to observer. The British Delegation made it clear that while it would be represented on this committee it did not contemplate that Great [Page 119] Britain would adhere to any further regional agreements having already signed Locarno. Litvinoff stated that it must not be understood that the adoption of this resolution excluded the eventual consideration of universal pacts or of pacts non-European character. Henderson ruled that membership on the committee might later be increased to include other powers.
Part 1 (b). The existing committee on miscellaneous provisions under the chairmanship of Bourquin23 will deal with guarantees of execution and security. The existing committees on air and manufacture of arms will deal with parts 2 and 3 of section II.
The chairmen of the four committees are empowered to convene the committees when they deem it best. It was likewise decided to request the governments to furnish prior to October 15, 1934, information for the last fiscal year of the nature furnished the technical committee of the National Defense Expenditure Committee.
The President was granted authority to call the Bureau under point I of resolution when he should deem the status of the work warranted.