Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, General, the British Commonwealth, Volume I

500.A15A4 General Committee (Arms)/23

The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, July 13, 1934.
[Received July 24.]

Sir: In connection with the future work of the Committee on the Manufacture of and Trade in Arms, I am informed that the Sub-Committee on Categories will be called early in September to consider the revision of the categories of arms in accordance with a mandate appearing in Conf. Doc. C.C.F./S.C.F./30–(1).

In view of the initiative of the American Delegation in regard to provisions for the control and regulation of the manufacture of arms, it is very probable that this Delegation will be called upon for concrete suggestions in regard to the rearrangement of categories. A study of the matter here indicates that the best ends of the General Disarmament Conference would be served by a rearrangement of categories under the following heads:

• Category I: Arms, ammunition and implements of war qualitatively limited or prohibited by the provisions of the Convention.

  1. Prohibited weapons:

  (a) Chemical and bacteriological warfare apparatus;

  (b) Flame projectors;

  (c) Incendiary projectiles;

  (d) Aerial bombs and apparatus for their discharge;

  (e) Military aeroplanes exceeding 3 tons unladen weight.

  2. Weapons for which the manufacture of and trade in is prohibited:

  (a) Tanks of a tonnage greater than “X” tons;

  (b) Mobile land artillery of a calibre greater than “Y” mm.;

  (c) Mounts and accessories for such artillery;

  (d) Ammunition designed exclusively for such artillery.

• Category II: Arms, ammunition and implements of war which are limited quantitatively by the Convention and are not included in other categories:

  (a) Military aeroplanes;

  (b) Tanks of a tonnage less than “X” tons but greater than “Z” tons;

  (c) Mobile land artillery of a calibre greater than “W” mm.;

  (d) Mounts and accessories for such artillery;

  (e) Ammunition designed exclusively for such artillery;

  (f) Appliances or substances exclusively suited to chemical or incendiary warfare which are necessary for protective experiments, therapeutic research and laboratory work.

• Category III: Arms, ammunition and implements of war which are not limited either qualitatively or quantitatively, but which form the standard armament of the land, naval or air forces, excepting those covered by other categories:

  (a) Arms and their component parts which are easily recognizable, having definite military characteristics and capable of being utilized only in the assembly or repair of such arms. Such arms, ammunition and implements are classified as follows:

  (1) Rifles and carbines;

  (2) Machine-guns, automatic rifles and machine-pistols of all calibres;

  (3) Guns, howitzers and mortars;

  (4) Bombs, grenades, torpedoes, depth charges, mines and apparatus for their discharge;

  (5) Military armored cars;

  (6) Projectiles and ammunition for the above.

• Category IV: Arms and ammunition capable of being used for military and other purposes except those covered by other categories:

  (a) Arms and implements of war of a military type which are no longer standard or in service in the armed forces;

  (b) Other rifled firearms which will fire ammunition which can be fired from firearms listed in Category III.

• Category V: Naval armaments:

  (a) Vessels of war and their armament, including vessels of all kinds and their arms, ammunition and implements of war mounted on board and forming part of their armament, except those covered by other categories.

• Category VI: Aerial armaments:

  (a) Military aircraft except those appearing in other categories;

  (b) Aircraft engines . . . . . h. p. and above.

• Category VII: Arms, ammunition, propellants and explosives designed and intended primarily for non-military use:

  (a) Shot-guns of all types and ammunition therefor;

  (b) Revolvers and self-loading automatic pistols designed for single-handed use and ammunition therefor;

  (c) Sporting rifles and ammunition therefor;

  (d) Commercial explosives.

With reference to Category I, it seems highly desirable that both manufacture and trade should be prohibited in those weapons which are banned by the Convention; but until some measure of agreement has been reached on the chapter on Matériel of the British Draft Convention⁵⁶ it will be impossible to fill in definite limits in regard to the tonnage of tanks and the calibre of artillery. This question, for both Category I and Category II will be somewhat complicated by the replacement provisions as they now appear in the British Draft Convention. In regard to Category II, the quantitative limitations which ultimately may appear in the Convention will be a matter of serious concern when it comes to the administration of restrictions on manufacture and trade in these weapons, and in consequence rather stringent measures of control will be necessary. Category III covers the general class of weapons which appear in Category I of the 1925 Arms Traffic Convention and which will be a matter of considerable concern in regard to the armaments of authorized military forces as they will exist under the General Disarmament Convention. Category IV represents a transition category which will be of principal concern to those nations which are primarily interested in the maintenance of order in the special zones laid down in the 1925 Convention. Category V, dealing with naval armaments, may have to be expanded to take in the principal provisions of the Washington and London Naval Agreements unless the provisions now appearing in the British Draft Convention are retained in their present form. Category VI, dealing with aerial armaments, will in all probability meet some opposition on account of the probable endeavor to include certain types—at least of civil aircraft—which are deemed capable of transformation for military uses. Category VII deals primarily with certain weapons and matériel which might conceivably be put to some military use but which should appear in a separate category in order that it may be subjected to as little control and regulation as appears necessary under the circumstances.

It would be very helpful if this Delegation could be informed as to your opinion on this arrangement in categories prior to September 1st in order that the detailed work thereunder may be accomplished prior to the meeting of the Committee on Categories.

Respectfully submitted,

Hugh R. Wilson

56. Conference Documents, vol. ii, pp. 476, 479.