793.94 Advisory Committee/147: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Bucknell) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 2—11:40 a.m.]
38. My 36, February 1, 7 p.m.56 Council adopted without change resolution reported in my 31, January 31, 10 p.m., and declared the present session closed.
Peru and Poland abstained largely because, they said, of the procedure whereby a declaration of this nature was prepared in secret by a small number of the members of the Council and then presented for their acceptance without sufficient time to consider it or its implications.
Ecuador accepted the resolution upon instructions from his Government. He said that he had referred the matter to his Government because the implications in the last paragraph had not been clear as to what responsibilities might devolve upon Ecuador if she accepted it.
Koo brought the Chinese position up to date from the time of his last summation to the Council and enumerated a list of Japanese atrocities directed not only against the Chinese people but also the citizens and interests of foreign powers in China. He also pointed to the fact that unchecked Japanese aggression in China could only serve detrimentally to affect the cause of peace in Europe. In accepting the resolution he said that he did so confidently believing that greater effect than heretofore will be given to the terms of the Assembly resolution referred to and that the proposed examination will be pursued with energy and promptness. He reserved his right to ask the League to adopt positive measures under the Covenant and further stated that his acceptance was also based upon the understanding that the Council remained seized of the appeal of the Chinese Government invoking articles 10, 11 and 17 of the Covenant.
Cranborne explained that the procedure followed had been adopted merely to save time and that no one had any thought of disregarding the views of any member of the Council.
- Not printed.↩