793.94/14623: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Bucknell) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 19—5 p.m.]
11. My telegram No. 10, January 18, 11 p.m. A member of the Chinese delegation has informed me in strict confidence that the Council Subcommittee adopted the following resolution in secret session this afternoon:
“The Council,
Referring to its report adopted on September 30, 1938, relating to the appeal of the Chinese Government;
Recalling the resolutions adopted by the Assembly of October 6, 1937, and by the Council of February 2 and of May 14, 1938;
Recalling notably the terms of the Assembly resolution of October 6, 1937, which expresses its moral support for China, and recommends that members of the League should refrain from taking any action which might have the effect of weakening China’s power of resistance and thus of increasing her difficulties in the present conflict, and should also consider how far they can individually extend aid to China; and the terms of the resolution of February 2, 1938, which expresses the Council’s confidence that those states represented on [Page 334] the Council for whom the situation is of special interest will lose no opportunity of examining, in consultation with other similarly interested powers, the feasibility of any further steps which may contribute to a just settlement of the conflict in the Far East;
Having heard the statement of the Chinese representative in regard to the present situation in the Far East in which he rejected Japanese pretentions to the establishment of a new order in Eastern Asia, and outlined certain proposals of the Chinese Government;
Taking note of the fact that a number of states have been taking individual action in aiding China;
Invites the member states, particularly those directly concerned in the Far East, in consultation with other similarly interested powers should this appear appropriate, to examine the proposals made in the statement of the representative of China before the Council on January 17th 1939, for the taking of effective measures, especially measures of aid to China”.
This resolution will probably be presented to a full meeting of the Council tomorrow morning.
My informant stated that in the last paragraph in the reference to consultation the phrase “should this appear appropriate” was designed to avoid any embarrassment to the American Government. A member of the Yugoslav delegation in speaking of the meeting this afternoon said that the revision of the original draft resolution had been accomplished in order not to prejudice “current diplomatic negotiations between Great Britain, France and the United States”.