Office of the Historian

793.94 Conference/285: Telegram

The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State

Brussels, November 22, 1937—midnight.
[Received November 22—10:05 p.m.]

51. After conferences and drafting all day yesterday the British and the American delegations agreed early this morning on tentative drafts of a report and a declaration. These drafts were today shown to various other delegations individually with explanations. The French delegation asked to associate itself with the British and the American delegations in sponsorship and this was agreed on. Late this afternoon both drafts were circulated by the Chairman at a private meeting of the Conference. The Chinese delegation made a blanket reservation with regard to both. The report was given a first reading which provoked considerable discussion. It was agreed that all delegations which wished to offer amendments or suggestions shall send them to the Belgian Secretariat tomorrow.

The next meeting of the Conference is set for Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile several delegations will consult their Governments.

The text of the report is confined to a résumé of facts and events relating to the Nine Power Treaty and the Conference. I anticipate little trouble in its being adopted.

The text of the declaration will probably elicit a good many suggestions for amendment and perhaps lengthy discussion. To get a [Page 227] meeting of minds with the British we had to permit some cutting down of statements of principle. As the draft now stands the concluding paragraphs read as follows:

  • “8. This Conference strongly reaffirms the principles of the Nine Power Treaty as being among the basic principles which are essential to world peace and orderly progressive development of national and international life.
  • 9. The Conference believes that a prompt suspension of hostilities in the Far East would be in the best interests not only of China and Japan but of all nations, and that with each day’s continuance of the conflict the loss in lives and property is bound to increase and the ultimate solution of the conflict to become more difficult.
  • 10. The Conference therefore strongly urges the Chinese and Japanese Governments to suspend hostilities and resort to peaceful processes.
  • 11. The Conference believes that no possible step to bring about by peaceful processes a settlement of the conflict should be overlooked or be omitted.
  • 12. In order to allow time for the participating governments to exchange views and further explore all peaceful methods by which a settlement of the dispute may be attained consistently with the principles of the Nine Power Treaty and in conformity with the objectives of that Treaty the Conference has taken its decision to suspend for the present its sittings.
  • 13. The Conference will be called together again whenever its Chairman or any two of its members shall have reported that they consider that its deliberations can be advantageously resumed.”

Davis