500.A15A4 Steering Committee/409: Telegram
The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 10—3:20 p.m.]
826. 1. At its meeting this afternoon98 the Bureau decided to adjourn until April 30th giving the President authority to postpone this meeting a few days if the situation so required. The Bureau will then [Page 46] prepare a text for the second reading by the General Commission, the next meeting of which is set for May 23, similar authority being given to the President to postpone this a few days if either he or the Bureau deemed it advisable.
2. During the discussion which preceded this decision various speakers reiterated their Governments’ desire for the prompt conclusion of an agreement containing real disarmament. The most important of these was Eden’s declaration. In summarizing the role his Government had played in the recent negotiations he emphasized that in the view of the British Government a “substantial reduction of armaments” still remains “the fundamental condition” for agreement to any arms convention. Massigli added nothing to the recent French memoranda but stated that his Government was making every possible effort to present as soon as possible a complete reply to the British questions concerning guarantees and hoped that a prompt solution of this problem could be found. Motta99 mentioned the necessity for Germany’s return to the Conference.
Repeated to London.