793.94/13903: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva ( Bucknell ) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 17—4:10 p.m.]
208. My 192, September 13, 4 p.m. At a private meeting of the Council today China requested early consideration of the Chinese appeal under article 17. A reliable Secretariat official said he considered the Chinese move as motivated partly for bargaining purposes and partly to satisfy a growing anti-League sentiment in Government circles in China. He considered it would be difficult for the Council to refuse to give an invitation to Japan. Japan would almost certainly not accept but he felt certain that no serious demand would be made for the application of article 16. He did not know however what formula would be used to avoid its automatically coming into effect. It will be noted that in accordance with paragraph 3 of article 17, article 16 would be applicable only after a formal recognition that Japan had resorted to war. An allusion to this was made by Hoo in a recent conversation with me who suggested that if formal recognition of a state of war should be made it might have some bearing upon the application of the American neutrality law.62
Speculation that the Russians may have instigated the Chinese move are discounted in usually reliable circles.
- As amended May 1, 1937; 50 Stat 121.↩