500.A15A4 General Committee (Arms)/127: Telegram
The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 13—6:18 a.m.]
1006. 1. The Technical Committee accepted without change yesterday category II of our draft.
2. During the debate a suggestion was made and received considerable support for the ultimate rearrangement of categories so as to provide for placing all armaments now covered by categories I, II and III, in a single category. This category presumably would [Page 34] have four main headings, the first three dealing with weapons designed and intended, respectively, for (a) land, (b) naval, and (c) aerial warfare. A fourth heading would include arms and implements common to two or more of the above three heads such as items now appearing in the first six subheads of our draft of category I. I assume that you would have no objection in principle to such an arrangement which would simplify the execution of the convention and remove certain very real drafting difficulties particularly in regard to component parts.
3. The Committee proceeded yesterday afternoon to consider category III during which we were forced to a sharp difference of opinion with the British in reserving their amendment to include civil aviation in category III. Our thesis received active French and Russian support. Compromise efforts will be continued today.