793.94/10176: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Bucknell) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 21—2:35 p.m.]
323. In the Assembly this morning Bruce,41 Australia, referred to the Chinese appeal which invoked articles 10, 11 and 17 of the Covenant and said:
“Nothing could be more fatal to the prestige and future welfare of the League than that we should attempt by some meaningless [Page 27] formula to postpone or side-step facing the issues involved and defining the League’s attitude and position. Moreover, honor and the permanent interests of the League itself demand that China should not be misled into believing that she can rely on forms of assistance which may not be forthcoming.”
He thought it was impractical for the League in its present condition to proceed under article 17 but declared:
“The importance of article 11 at the present juncture, however, is clear and great. It is a means by which immediately the League may transcend the limitations of its present membership. In the conflict now being waged in East Asia not only League states but great states outside the League have direct and vital interests. Surely the action that would be, in the words of article No. 11, ‘wise and effective[’] at this stage would be for the Council to endeavor to arrange for a conference of the powers most vitally concerned in the position in the Far East, whether members of the League or not, with a view to such conference getting in touch with the countries concerned in the dispute and endeavoring to arrange some settlement or concerting such measures as may be necessary and practicable. This would also be, in my view, the only immediately possible step under article 10”.
On economic questions he intimated that he would later in the Second Committee propose studies by the League (a) of methods of bringing about an improvement in living standards, (b) of means of avoiding or ameliorating the “next depression” and (c) of agricultural reorganization and credit particularly in Eastern Europe.
He also made the following reference to the United States:
“The League’s work for economic improvement has been facilitated and will in the future be further helped by the cooperation of nations not members of the League. In particular I would refer to the active cooperation of the United States of America in the I. L. O.42 and on the Technical Committees of the League. In all our efforts in this direction we have the full support of President Roosevelt and his Secretary of State Mr. Cordell Hull. In this sphere we have also the encouragement of the definite cooperative action which was and is being taken by the United States of America, France and the United Kingdom in the triple monetary agreement.43 And we are all awaiting with great interest the report of Monsieur Van Zeeland44 on the important mission45 which he undertook at the request of the Governments of Great Britain and France.”
- S. M. Bruce, first delegate for Australia.↩
- International Labor Office.↩
- Dated September 25, 1936, Foreign Relations, 1936, vol. i, p. 560.↩
- Belgian Prime Minister.↩
- For correspondence regarding this mission, see vol. i, pp. 671 ff.↩