Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, The American Republics, Volume IV

724.3415/3692: Telegram

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

Geneva, May 18, 1934—3 p.m.
[Received May 18—12:45 p.m.]

80. Consulate’s 78, May 17, 6 p.m., paragraph 4.

1. The Council this morning authorized the Committee of Three to obtain the collaboration of jurists to frame a suggestion for a procedure to give effect to the British proposals for an arms embargo. I understood that the juridical point more particularly involved is the question of taking Council action without the consent of the two disputants.

2. The Danish representative supported embargo proposal stating that it was in accord with the laws already in force in his country prohibiting shipments of arms to countries at war or involved in a conflict threatening to lead to war.

3. The conclusion ended with a statement by the Bolivian representative in which he maintained an embargo imposed equally on both parties might in effect result in injustice due to the less favorable geographical position of one of the parties respecting obtaining of arms. This would be tantamount to the application of sanctions to the more isolated party. He referred to Bolivia’s position on this question at the Havana Conference stating that it was supported by the American Delegation.⁶⁴

Gilbert

64. See Department of State, Report of the Delegates of the United States of America to the Sixth International Conference of American States, Held at Banana, Cuba, January 16 to February 20, 1928 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1928), pp. 18–19.