Office of the Historian

710.G Commercial Agreement/24: Telegram (part air)

The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, September 15, 1934—3 p.m.
[Received September 17—6:42 a.m.]

239. Consulate’s 232, September 12, 11 a.m. I find that the Economic Section is on its own initiative advancing the project of bringing the Pan American Agreement before the Assembly. An official of the Section informed me today as follows:

(a)
—The Belgian Foreign Minister stated to him that upon receipt of advice from the Belgian Embassy in Washington he was considering taking such action but that he was first exploring as to what support might be received.
(b)
—Officers of the Section have approached the Mexican representative with a view to his exploring the attitude of the Latin American [Page 12] states relative to it being presented by one of them or by a group or the support they would give in the event of its being presented by a European state.
(c)
—The Economic Section envisages as generally in support Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and the Central European, Baltic and Balkan powers; and in opposition Great Britain, the British Dominions and the Scandinavian states especially Sweden.
(d)
—It is still too early to estimate whether action may be taken here.

Gilbert