500.A15A4 Steering Committee/489: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Wilson)
511. Your 1069, September 26, 11 p.m. After considering the facts reported in your telegram in the light of the general situation, [Page 15] we have come to the conclusion that it would be advisable for us to support an attempt to reopen the subject of disarmament, with particular emphasis upon those sections of the work in which a large measure of accord has already been realized. We believe that we should adhere to our position of 1934–1935, that a contractual obligation should be entered into as soon as possible between the nations most concerned with regard to the Manufacture of and Trade in Arms and publicity on Budgetary Expenditure. We are of the view that a Permanent Disarmament Commission might be a most effective instrument for supervising and controlling this obligation. Finally, we believe that this obligation should be entered into without awaiting the realization of a General Disarmament Convention.
It would seem necessary to us, however, to obtain in advance a clarification of the present views of the French and British Governments with regard to these specific subjects and with regard to the general disarmament situation in order that we might have some idea of the present prospects of a positive result developing from the renewal of the discussions and possibly from a second reading of the draft text. It would be unfortunate and would merely further exacerbate public opinion if there were to be mere recurrence of the cleavage between the British and French positions which was so apparent in 1935 and which forced an adjournment of the discussions in the hope that the bases of a general accord might be reached. In short, any information regarding the actual situation which may come to you would be appreciated by us.
In any event, however, we shall wish you to attend the session of the Bureau, if it is called, and to make clear that our interest in the success of disarmament efforts has not abated and that we wish to contribute to a full extent in efforts which would mean the lessening of anxiety and an increase of confidence in the world.