Office of the Historian

793.94 Commission/732: Telegram

The Ambassador in Belgium (Gibson) to the Secretary of State

Brussels, January 10, 1933—11 p.m.
[Received January 10—10 p.m.]

2. Hymans60 told me this evening he was worried about the forthcoming meeting of the Committee of Nineteen and of the Assembly. He says he has confidential reports from London and Paris which convince him that neither government proposes to be involved in any strong line of action which would irritate Japan; that this is known to the Japanese who also seem convinced that our Government will not in the closing phase of the administration feel disposed to take a strong line.

He says the chief motive force at Geneva is now furnished by representatives of several smaller powers, notably Undén of Sweden, Beneš61 and Madariaga,62 who are pressing for action which would inevitably drive the Japanese out of the League.

He felt that two courses are now open:

  • The first, to make a declaration of principles which will keep the record clear but which will end any immediate hope of working out a solution with the Japanese.
  • The second, to avoid forcing the issue and finding some way around existing obstacles.

He feels that the resolution drafted for the Assembly by the Committee of Nineteen would, if adopted, drive the Japanese out and that the adoption of the Japanese amendments would destroy its entire value.

He is considering whether it would not be worth while to draw up a resolution based on opening paragraphs of chapter 10 of the Lytton Report which embody suggestions as to action which might be taken even in the event of the recognition of Manchukuo by Japan, particularly: [Page 49]

1.
That China and Japan be invited by the Council to discuss a solution of their dispute on the lines indicated in chapter 9 with such adaptation as subsequent developments may require;
2.
The constitution of an advisory conference, the Council remaining as a court of appeal in the event of inability to reach agreement.

He has broached this subject very confidentially to Drummond63 by letter in order that he may have time to think it over before Hymans arrives in Geneva on the 13th or 14th instant.

Hymans says he is very anxious that the forthcoming meeting shall have some practical results leading to a solution but that this will be difficult if the representatives of Great Britain and France are silent and the speech making is confined to the extremists who have no spheres of interests in the Far East. He spoke quite openly of his difficulties and said he would greatly value any intimation as to our attitude which could be given him.

He impressed upon me that the foregoing was to be considered as a highly confidential conversation. I would suggest that you communicate anything you may have to send him through Wilson.64

Repeated to Wilson.

Gibson
  1. Paul Hymans, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs; president, League of Nations Assembly and Committee of Nineteen on the Far East.↩
  2. Eduard Beneš, Czechoslovak representative, League of Nations.↩
  3. Salvador de Madariaga y Rojo, Spanish representative, League of Nations.↩
  4. Sir Eric Drummond, Secretary-General of the League of Nations.↩
  5. Hugh R. Wilson, Minister to Switzerland.↩