793.94 Commission/792: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 14—7:43 p.m.]
108. My 105, February 13, 7 p.m. The Committee of Nineteen met this afternoon and issued the following communiqué:
“It first considered the reply of Mr. Matsuoka, head of the Japanese delegation to its letter of February 9 and agreed upon an answer to be made by the Secretary General on its behalf (text already distributed to the press).
The Committee thereupon, after reading and approving the draft amendments suggested yesterday adopted the first three sections of [Page 180] the report which in the event of the failure of conciliation would be recommended to the Assembly under paragraph 4 of article 15.
It then proceeded to a first reading of the fourth section of the report embodying the recommendations which with certain drafting changes it also approved.
The Committee decided to convoke the Assembly for Tuesday92 next. The full texts of the report will be distributed to all states members of the League as soon as printed, probably at the end of the week, and will at the same time be transmitted by wireless telegraph from the League station to all government stations.”93
Following is a résumé of a brief report on the meeting furnished me confidentially by Sweetser.
The report, including the recommendations submitted by the drafting committee of nine, was adopted with only minor drafting changes with the single exception that the states which would be invited to form part of the negotiation committee would consist of the signatories of the Nine-Power Treaty plus members of the Committee of Nineteen desiring to participate plus the special invitation previously foreseen for the United States and Russia.
The Secretary General hopes to have the report printed on Friday for distribution to the delegations on Saturday. As in the case of all League documents distributed to all states members it will automatically go to the press at the moment of this distribution.
Regarding the transmission by wireless telegraph there will be two emissions, one eastward, and one westward. The time of these emissions will shortly be announced by a special service message. It will aim to suit the convenience of stations desiring to receive. One of the principal reasons for this wireless transmission is to decrease justification of any plea for delay based on the fact that the full text was not available in either Tokyo or Nanking.
As foreseen at present the Assembly would open with an introductory speech by the President after which a period of 3 days would elapse before the detailed discussion would begin. This would give delegates full time to consider the report in all its implications. The actual debate would thus begin on Friday or Saturday and probably be terminated quickly unless some new suggestions were put forward by the Japanese.
Sweetser added that an effort would be made to furnish us with an advance proof copy of the report which will be mailed to you at once.