Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, General, the British Commonwealth, Volume I

500.A15A4 General Committee/912: Telegram

The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, May 24, 1934—1 p.m.
[Received May 24—10 a.m.]

840. Your 414 May 23, 5 p.m.

(a) No further developments.

(b) Subject to a general reservation by Italy a maximum attainable program appears possible which provides for a national licensing system for manufacture of arms together with full publicity of licenses issued coupled with a control of export in arms along the lines provided in 1925 convention.³⁵ It is contemplated that publicity shall be concentrated in the hands of some central international body. In any negotiations in this respect it must be anticipated that France, the Little Entente and Spain will press for the inclusion of some sort of quota restriction as envisaged by the French amendment³⁶ to the British draft. Even this program, however, will be jeopardized by the absence of Germany and this political factor must be given due consideration.

However, the foregoing is based upon views which have been expressed in consideration of the control of manufacture of and traffic in arms being a portion of a general disarmament convention and I cannot predict with certainty whether the same positions would be taken in default of a general convention.

(c) Before submitting recommendations it would be essential to understand whether the Government of the United States has in mind favoring or proposing a separate convention on regulation of manufacture and trade in arms if no general convention is realizable. The recommendations which I would care to submit would be predicated on knowledge of this fact. It is obvious that if there is a general convention embodying a substantial reduction we could go further in the control of manufacture of and trade in arms than in the event of a treaty limited to this particular aspect of armament. Further, it would be useful to know the pertinent portions of Mr. Davis’ contemplated speech in order to recommend helpfully.

Copy to Paris.

Wilson

35. Convention for the Supervision of the International Trade in Arms and Ammunition and in Implements of War, signed at Geneva, June 17, 1925, Foreign Relations, 1925, vol. i, p. 61.

    For correspondence concerning efforts to secure ratification of this convention by the United States, see pp. 449 ff.

36. Minutes of the General Commission, vol. ii, p. 591.