Office of the Historian

500.C1112/95: Telegram (part air)

The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, January 22, 1937—2 p.m.
[Received January 25—9 a.m.]

26. Consulate’s 21, January 19, 3 p.m. The Polish Minister informs me this morning that von Neurath assured Beck in Berlin that should he receive a communication from the Secretary General concerning the Raw Materials Committee he would not only answer it but respond in a manner which would not close the door to possible German participation. The Minister stated that he believed that the action of the Council would be such as would indicate the transmission of such a letter.

He gave me to read a draft Council resolution on this subject which I noted was carefully worded so as to leave the door open for the future participation of both Germany and Italy which the Minister told me was its intent adding that he was hopeful of Rome’s participate on after its “differences with the League had been settled”. He stated that he believed there was now but little question but that the Council would establish the Committee.

At Sandler’s13 request Beck added Sweden to the Committee list. The names to be submitted are as follows:

United States Grady;
Great Britain Leith-Ross;
Japan Shudo;
Switzerland Stucki;
Russia Rosenblum;
South Africa Strakosch;
Czechoslovakia Pospisil;
Belgium Leo-Gérard;
France Rist;
Mexico Gonzalo Robles;
The Netherlands Van Gelderen;
Poland Rose;
Portugal Fernandez;
Sweden Hoegbom

Muniz, the Brazilian Consul General informs me that his Government has just instructed him to serve.

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The Canadian representative tells me that Canada is accepting in principle, the individual to be named later. He understands that Camsell and McNaughton are chiefly under consideration.

The list of participants is thus that given in my telegram 495, December 5, 10 a.m.,14 with the addition of Czechoslovakia and Sweden and, in consequence of the favorable Canadian Government action, the elimination of Austria.

Gilbert
  1. Richard Sandler, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
  2. Foreign Relations, 1936, vol. i, p. 479.↩