500.A15A4 General Committee/214: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 17—5:28 p.m.]
576. My 569, March 17, noon. Comment on part I, Security.
This entire section seems to be designed to build up an obligation of consultation among signatory powers in the event of a breach of peace or a threat thereto. We venture to suggest that it be studied rather on this general conception than on details which will doubtless undergo many modifications in debate.
We learn from the British that part I is conceived in respect to states members of the League as additional to their obligations under the Covenant. They envisage that when a state member desires to bring a matter up it will do so in the first instance under the machinery of the League of Nations before the Council. Presumably the Council will then decide whether the threat to peace has world wide consequences and justifies the invoking of the wider circle; in other words the utilization of part I of this draft. If the Council so decides naturally there would be at least five states as foreseen in article 3, and one of the states foreseen in article 4, which would make possible the initiation of this machinery.
In this connection we invite attention to our 562, March 12, 5 p.m.
The practical importance of this whole text will be measured by the amount of satisfaction it gives to the French and their allies which in turn will probably measure the amount of disarmament which can probably be expected in the rest of the convention. We shall endeavor to elicit from the French an understanding of what value they attach to text as it stands and shall report when we have done so.