500.A15a4/130

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

My Dear Mr. Secretary: I have had another talk with Sir Eric Drummond since his return from Paris and London. He is making only a flying visit to Geneva in this instance and is leaving shortly for Rome and Berlin. While nothing very definite developed from our conversation, there were certain points in connection with the General Disarmament Conference of next year which I thought might be of interest.

Drummond feels that the case for Beneš as President of the Conference is so weakened by the resistance encountered in London to this project, that he himself will have to wash his hands of the matter, and the Council will have to proceed to the election without the advice of the Secretariat. Whether or not the Council chooses a President in the May session, Drummond intends to urge the appointment of a Committee of two or three members to aid him in the actual preparations. He feels the responsibility very heavily and points out that only eight months remain between now and the Conference, and that work of a definite nature must be immediately undertaken for the necessary organization.

In the light of Mr. Henderson’s attitude during the last Council meeting (in which he seemed to urge your reluctance as a reason for not appointing officers at that time) it is interesting to learn from Sir Eric that Mr. Henderson now takes the position that one of the leading statesmen of the world should occupy the chair. He, Mr. Henderson, apparently attempted to persuade Briand3a to accept the candidacy, but Briand entirely refused to do so. Mr. Henderson now feels that the mantle has fallen on his shoulders and will not be averse to accepting this honor if it is offered to him. The apparently precarious [Page 493] situation of the British Cabinet renders this idea of Mr. Henderson’s rather interesting, as it raises the question of what would happen if, after the May Council meeting should have selected Mr. Henderson as Chairman, the Cabinet should fall and the new elections should give the majority to an opposition Government. Incidentally, Sir Eric did not raise the question of an American, and I think everybody fully understands our attitude on that subject.

As for the place of the Conference, certainly in Secretariat circles there is every determination that it should be Geneva. One guess is as good as another, but it does seem probable that the opposition of the Secretariat to any other seat of the Conference will be a determining factor.

In this letter I am not entering into certain technical matters relating to Disarmament which will come before the Council, as I Shave already reported them in the regular way. Unless you see reason to tire contrary, I think it would be advisable for me to be in Geneva when these items are scheduled to come up on the agenda of the Council, which will be some time between May 18 and 22, in order that I may follow them closely.

Very respectfully yours,

Hugh R. Wilson
  1. Aristide Briand, French Minister for Foreign Affairs.