765.84/3008: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 10—2:15 p.m.]
644. 1. Meeting Vasconcellos at a luncheon today he informed me that the present plan for the procedures of the Committee of Eighteen was the fixing of a date for the application of an oil embargo against Italy, the date envisaged to be toward the end of January. He told me that he felt certain that Russia and Rumania would accept this proposal but maintaining their reservations that such action should be universal by the oil producing countries. He understood that Great Britain would accept with a reservation which would not be couched in such specific terms but would probably be to the effect that their action would be conditioned on such an embargo being effective. Venezuela from information here still seems to be something of an unknown quantity.
From the general tenor of the conversation and from remarks made by others present I entertain no doubt a date at the end of January was in their minds in view of the convening of the American Congress in January, the thought being of affording time for Congressional action at Washington in respect of an extension of our embargo provisions to include petroleum.
The plans for the Committee of Eighteen have been formulated without regard to possible recent developments in Paris in the Hoare-Laval conversations.
[Page 875]The thought that these might alter the entire picture even to the extent of deferring any action on petroleum was, however, in the background of all conversations.
Although oil was the chief product mentioned it was understood in connection with the plan that any League action would include in the same terms, iron, steel and coal. It was not believed that anything would be done about copper in view of the position of Chile.
2. Vasconcellos inquired of me respecting my understanding of American policy. I thus took advantage of the occasion to proceed in line with the Department’s telegram No. 144, December 4, 7 p.m., first paragraph, of course keeping our talk on an entirely informal basis. From what Vasconcellos said in reply I felt that it served a useful purpose to have our position at least clear in his mind.