500.A15/367: Telegram
The American Delegate on the Preparatory Commission (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:40 p.m.]
102. For several weeks our delegation has felt concern at development of French thesis in subcommittees and has given serious thought to keeping the record clear on our position. The following is submitted for the Department’s consideration:
Thus far the Preparatory Commission and its committees have not produced much more than an outline of a French plan put through by bloc vote in disregard of technical considerations which should be basis of work. Plan is calculated to defeat any constructive efforts to solve disarmament problem by making action depend on complicated [Page 110] and impossible conditions such as injection of control and suppression, adoption of single and inadequate criteria, rejection of standards hitherto accepted, and ignoring or minimizing important elements; such as, for example, trained reserves. If the work continues to be carried on as it has been thus far, it seems evident that the final report will be an essentially unsound document, bristling with reservations and with minority declarations, which cannot serve as useful basis for constructive work and will bring work of Preparatory Commission into disrepute.
I am venturing suggestion that the Department may wish to consider whether it would not be expedient to take advantage of opportunity presented by forthcoming meeting of Preparatory Commission to put our position clearly on record. Notwithstanding fact that we have endeavored to keep work on practical basis and have made clear record of our views, the mere fact that we have taken part in the discussions may leave us in position of being criticized for having failed to prevent adoption of report calculated to defeat any possibility of disarmament. It must be kept in mind that subcommittees’ meetings are not public and that only way we have to register our views publicly is in plenary meetings of Preparatory Commission.
The sort of statement I have in mind would be one temperate and timely which would express satisfaction that Preparatory Commission had met to take account of work so far accomplished and to consider any improvements that might be made on basis of experience gained; that we have carefully followed the work of the subcommittees and feel that they have not kept in view the instructions which Preparatory Commission laid down for their guidance, as well as of essential character of our work; that in view of very complicated character of general disarmament problem a meeting preliminary in nature had been called to apply the laboratory method to discussion of general principles so that sound peace basis might be established on which action might be based by future conference or conferences; that one of special advantages of proceeding in this manner was that necessity of upholding special national interests was obviated; that the basic reason for the calling of such a conference as this was to make possible an unbiased and objective examination of each country’s undoubted right to present and defend its own special interests at any conference held in the future; that we had come to Geneva in belief that there was to be such an objective discussion as outlined; that it was in that spirit that we had taken part in the sessions, but that it must be obvious to whoever reads the proceedings of the committees that they have arrived at their decisions upon political rather than upon technical grounds; that decisions were not only reached on these grounds but [Page 111] that they were often taken by a minority in a private conference with a majority of the Preparatory Commission abstaining, and that this abstention was not because of a lack of technical reasons.
We could point out that this Preparatory Commission was manifestly expected to confine its activities to an objective study of the disarmament problem, as it would be unfair to countries not represented on it for us to make this the occasion to build up a scheme of disarmament based on national interests of only 19 countries, disregarding the interests of other countries whose attendance at future conferences will be essential; that our only hope to accomplish anything lies in producing plan that they will recognize to be practicable and fair; that otherwise, we may close door to future participation by those countries.
It could be made clear that we do not seek to place blame on anyone but that we are merely concerned with fact that procedure of sort described cannot conceivably lead to formulation of a report which could be received seriously as embodying the considered technical opinion of experts; that we should have laid a sound foundation for the next step toward disarmament only if we had a report representing conclusions based on technical grounds alone. But on the other hand, if the report which our political representatives were asked to accept as basis of their action were not true reflection of opinion of our technical experts, our political representatives would be standing on unsafe ground when they came to take next step.
Statement might end with recommendation that in starting the second reading the committees be directed to furnish carefully thought-out technical opinions unbiased by political considerations or instructions. A suggestion of that sort, whether it were acted upon or not, would put us clearly on record as doing our utmost to achieve practical results. I hope the Department will consider whether we can afford to miss opportunity to do this.
I think that the statement should avoid the least imputation of blame to any delegation or group of delegations, so that support of our views may be rendered easier for the French, if they are sincere in their protestations.
I shall follow up conversations I have recently had with Boncour as soon as he is able to spare the time from the present League situation, and it is possible that we may arrive at a satisfactory agreement. It would be helpful, however, if I had an intimation whether the Department would authorize such a statement as I have outlined, should it be desirable to make one.