Office of the Historian

500.C1112/81: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State 48

Washington, December 5, 1936—5 p.m.

72. For the Secretary of State and Feis.48a As you know, the League Assembly on October 10, 1936, requested the Council “when it thinks fit” to appoint a committee to investigate the question of “equal commercial access for all nations to certain raw materials”. The resolution stipulated that the committee should be composed of: (a) some members of the League Economic and Financial Committees; (b) “other qualified persons, irrespective of nationality”; (c) “nationals of non-member as well as member States specially interested”.

Gilbert reports that the Council session convening on January 18th must come to a decision as to creating such a committee and will, if it decides to create the committee, immediately thereafter designate the members. Stoppani has requested that, should we desire to participate, we suggest an individual a reasonable time in advance of the Session. He states that, if the committee is set up, American, Japanese and German membership would be desired. Gilbert is informed by the Japanese Consul General that Japan will participate. The German Consul General informs him that Berlin is interested in such an activity presumably to the extent of participating, and that although participation in a League Body would be difficult for Germany it would not be impossible, particularly if the meetings took place outside Geneva, possibly in London. The German Consul General indicated that Berlin expected to be approached by the British through diplomatic channels and was surprised that no such approach had yet been made.

Gilbert understands that the French desire to go ahead with the committee with or without Germany but that the British do not want the committee set up unless Germany will participate. We have requested further information from London.

Do you desire an American to participate and, if so, which of the three methods outlined above do you prefer? In connection with (a) you will recall that the American members of the Economic and Financial Committees may be changed at the January session.

Moore
  1. During the absence of the Secretary of State as head of the United States delegation at the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, held at Buenos Aires, December 1–23, 1936 (see vol. v , pp. — ff.), summaries of correspondence with American missions abroad were transmitted to him by the Acting Secretary of State.↩
  2. Herbert Feis, Special Adviser to the United States delegation, Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace.↩