793.94/9942
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Wilson) of a Conversation With the British Chargé (Mallet)
In accordance with instructions from the Secretary, I discussed with Mr. Mallet the aide-mémoire of the British Embassy handed to the Division of Far Eastern Affairs on August 31st in respect to American representation at Geneva, in the event that an appeal is made to the League by the Chinese Government.
I told Mr. Mallet that Mr. Leland Harrison, who would shortly become American Minister to Bern, would be in Geneva and would carry on the work under the same conditions as I had previously done in that city, that he was planning to remain there through the Assembly. Mr. Mallet said that, of course, members of the Foreign [Page 10] Office at London were thoroughly familiar with my position in Geneva and he would merely report that Harrison would occupy himself with the same work.
I then added that, since he had handed in his aide-mémoire, we had heard from Geneva and Bern to the effect that the Chinese had apprised the League, as well as members of the Advisory Committee, of the situation in the Far East; as far as we knew, no specific appeal had been made; the Chinese note seemed more in the nature of information. I then stated that, since early in 1933, under instructions from my Government, I had sat on the Advisory Committee, but without the right of vote.
Mr. Mallet asked me whether this meant that Mr. Harrison would also sit on the Advisory Committee and I replied that we were not perfectly sure whether the Advisory Committee was still in existence or whether it would be summoned, that if it were decided by the Secretary General that the Committee was still in being and it were summoned, Harrison may sit as I have done, but that I could not give him assurances in this matter as we wished to remain free to adopt such course as might be called for in the circumstances.