500.A15A4 General Committee/99: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 22—11:29 p.m.]
361. Two meetings of the General Commission were held today for further discussion of the Beneš resolution. After consideration of the various amendments proposed this morning the text as originally drafted was maintained with the exception that states that manufacture [with the exception that State manufacture] of arms was included with private manufacture as regards regulations to be applied. The Soviet and Chinese amendments to the remaining chapters of the text were withdrawn.
During the discussion relating to the limitation of national defense expenditure Sir Herbert Samuel explained the British view that expenditure reductions already effected must be taken into consideration. Great Britain he stated takes note of the American observation on global limitation and accepts the text with the understanding that its reductions already effected will be considered.
There were 14 speakers this afternoon who commented on the resolution as a whole. With the exception of the Central European group the majority of the speakers accepted the resolution as being the best possible agreement under the present circumstances.
Following Nadolny and Sir John Simon, Herriot explained his Government’s acceptance of the resolution and stated very clearly that France supported a global reduction on budgetary expenses citing [Page 312] as proof thereof that the French Government had just adopted an actual reduction of approximately 10 percent on military. He was extremely cordial in his references to the value of initiative of the President and stated France’s entire agreement with the principles on which it was based. As regards the effectives proposal he made the three following points:
- 1.
- It would be necessary in calculating effectives to take into account not only the apparent force but the real existing force; not only the admitted organizations but also the clandestine.
- 2.
- It would likewise be extremely difficult to calculate the military coefficients on the basis of population alone. To do this would be to set an unfair premium on quantity of population and to favor what might be called “mass imperialism”. In this connection he told me that he had Russia in mind.
- 3.
- President Hoover’s proposal has not taken into account the possibility of coalitions.
He likewise reiterated the old French arguments on security but indicated that these would be withdrawn as a condition precedent in order to obtain the consolidation of the steps contained in the resolution which he felt to be of value and stated that he could not assume the responsibility of holding up these measures. Parenthetically he told me before making the speech that the French [plan?] as such might never appear and that his intention was to wait until he saw what measure of satisfaction was accorded France by the treaty of disarmament and then to examine in a sensible way what complementary measures were essential.