500.A15A4 General Committee/847: Telegram
The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 23—9:50 a.m.]
822. 1. I understand from Paris that English translation of French memorandum to British of March 17th has been sent to Laboulaye and will be made public today. I am therefore not cabling text which came into my possession confidentially yesterday.
2. According to information from usually well-informed sources the French now desire to wind up the Disarmament Conference by a meeting of the General Commission so that the Conference may have a correct juridical funeral. They explain that such a policy is for the protection of the juridical structure of the League of Nations which would be seriously shaken by the fact that a Disarmament Conference called by virtue of article 8 of the Covenant had resulted in a “re-armament” in respect to Germany. Such a result the French believe, would condone Germany’s breach of the military clauses of the Treaty of Versailles and would also violate the undertaking contained in article 8 of the Covenant. The French think that such a result would have a disastrous effect not only on the League of Nations but on the world peace structure in general.
3. Once the present Conference has been definitely liquidated then should proposals for a “status quo limitation treaty” be made the French will be quite prepared to discuss their participation in such a conference, place where it might be held, program to be adopted, et cetera.
4. I have mailed you via Bremen sailing 24th comment79 with regard to a limitation agreement.
- Not found in Department files.↩