500.A15A4 Steering Committee/385: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France ( Straus )

7. While press despatches from Europe indicate that it is still planned to call a meeting of the Bureau of the Disarmament Conference on the 21st of this month, we have received no official information to this effect. Please see Massigli11 at your earliest opportunity and endeavor to ascertain what the latest situation is with respect to convening the Bureau and the subject matter to be discussed. You should add that both Davis12 and Wilson13 would find it very inconvenient to arrive in Geneva before approximately January 27. It is hoped that Massigli will bear this in mind in the event that negotiations have reached the stage for summoning the Bureau by the end of the month.

In any event—as he already explained to Massigli before sailing last November—Davis would not feel justified in returning until sufficient progress had been made in the present conversations between the European Powers to enable the disarmament work at Geneva to continue with real promise of success.

Atherton has been requested to inform Eden to the same effect.

Phillips
  1. René Massigli, member of the French delegation to the General Disarmament Conference; Assistant Director of Political Affairs in charge of League of Nations Section, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  2. Norman H. Davis, Chairman of the American delegation to the General Disarmament Conference.
  3. Hugh R. Wilson, American delegate to the General Disarmament Conference; Minister to Switzerland.