Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1931, Volume I

500.A15 Arms Truce/18: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland ( Wilson ) to the Secretary of State

Geneva , September 18 [19?], 1931—midnight.
[Received September 19—9:50 p.m.]

142. My 139, September 18, noon [midnight]. At opening of Third Committee today⁵⁶ the Chairman read the Scandinavian resolution and then stated that there were three powers non-members of the League which had participated in the work of the Preparatory Commission. He suggested that the Commission request the Secretary General to invite these three powers to take part in the deliberations. The suggestion received cordial approval from many representatives but Madariaga⁵⁷ urged that all non-member states should be invited. Massigli⁵⁸ thenceforth questioned the competence of the Third Committee to issue such an invitation but confined his remarks to the technical side and added that the presence of representatives of the three states would give him great satisfaction. The Chairman suspended the sitting and on resumption of business proposed a resolution which was adopted unanimously requesting President of Assembly to refer question to Council in order that invitations might be issued to all non-member states to be represented on Committee. A different procedure was subsequently adopted according to which the matter was considered by Assembly General Committee tonight. In agreement with the latter and in pursuance of unanimous decision of Third Committee President of Assembly has despatched telegraphic invitation to all non-member states to participate in consultative capacity in discussions of Third Committee.⁵⁹

Wilson

56. For the proceedings of the Third Committee, see League of Nations, Official Journal, Special Supp. No. 96: Records of the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Assembly, Minutes of the Third Committee (Reduction of Armaments).
57. Salvador de Madariaga, Spanish representative.
58. René Massigli, French representative.
59. The invitation from the President of the Twelfth Assembly was received in the Department September 19, 11:45 p.m., and accepted by the United States on September 21 (500.A15 Arms Truce/19, 22).