793.94 Conference/3a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Belgium (Gibson)

45. The British Government approached us yesterday with a request for suggestions as to how the forthcoming conference of the parties to the Nine-Power Treaty should be summoned, where and when it should take place, and what attitude it should adopt toward the inclusion of Russia and Germany. We have just replied, offering the suggestion that the invitations to those parties to the Treaty who are not members of the League should be issued by Van Zeeland, that the conference should meet in Brussels in not over a fortnight’s time, and that the parties to the Treaty should decide at their first session the attitude to be taken by the conference toward inviting non-signatory countries.

We shall keep you informed as soon as the British have expressed an opinion on the foregoing suggestions.

Hull