500.C1113/76: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 2—2:48 p.m.]
1073. The Third Committee of the Assembly met this afternoon for the first time and elected Lange of Norway, President.
Lange summarized the work before the Committee as being that of exploration and a useful preface for the meeting of the Bureau. He states that his task would be to review the subject of disarmament with particular reference to the statements made during the general debate of the Assembly and to make possible recommendations for the resumption of useful work on this subject. The meetings of the Third Committee would give the prestige of the Assembly’s sanction to the resumption of work which would actually take place in the Bureau but only limited results can now be expected. Even these, he said, can only be achieved if certain powers are prepared to make concessions from positions taken in which they are more or less isolated.
The general discussion will open and [at] the next meeting.