710.1012 Anti-War/10 ½
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
Mr. Espil called and asked what the progress is on our consideration of Saavedra Lamas’ Anti-War Pact. I told him that we had received the papers from him about ten days or so ago as he knew and that they had gone through the usual routine of being indexed and sent to the proper offices for their information and for the preparation of an acknowledgment. I told him that an acknowledgment of his note would go to him today; that then the matter would be submitted in due course to the Department’s advisers, and that when they have made their study I would give the matter further consideration. I told him that a study of the treaty is apt to take some time and they should not expect anything from us within the next couple of months.
Mr. Espil said that he would like to have my reaction on it, independent of any recommendations our technical people may make, so that he could report to his Government. I told him that he might say that I was not inhospitable to the idea of such a treaty but the treaty appeared to have been rather hastily drawn up and I thought if we proceeded with it we would want to suggest a good many modifications. I also told him that after we had determined our view regarding the treaty we might possibly want to consult some of the other American Governments before giving him an answer.