Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1936, The Near East and Africa, Volume III

765.84/3491: Telegram

The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, January 21, 1936—noon.
[Received January 21—9:32 a.m.]

19. The Secretariat has circulated the text of a note from the Ethiopian Government under date of January 20⁷¹ reiterating the chief elements of the Ethiopian position. The note was apparently written on the assumption that the Committee of Thirteen might attempt during the current Council session to find a basis of conciliation under its mandate of December 19⁷² “to examine the situation as a whole.” The note expresses a willingness to assist the Committee but insists on being kept informed of its discussions. Presumably as a warning against any procedure similar to the Hoare-Laval plan the notice reaffirms the Ethiopian position in regard to past agreements among the powers relative to Ethiopia and declares that any settlement must conform to the principles laid down in the Committee’s report of October 5.⁷³

Gilbert

71. League of Nations, Official Journal, February 1936, p. 256.
72. Ibid., January 1936, p. 14.
73. Adopted by the Council of the League on October 7, ibid., November 1935, pp. 1605–1619.