Armament > Chemical and bacteriological weapons Special Committee

Official No.: Coilf. D. 120.
[Conf.D./A.C.B.i6(i).]
Geneva, May 31st, 1932.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
CONFERENCE FOR THE REDUCTION AND LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS
CHEMICAL AND BACTERIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Special Committee
REPORT TO THE GENERAL COMMISSION
provided for under that Commission’s Resolution of April 22nd and its Decision of May 10th, 1932
(Documents Conf.D./C.0.28(2) and Conf.D./C.G./P.V.i8).
Rapporteur: M. Rutgers (Netherlands).
1. The General Commission of the Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of
Armaments adopted the two following resolutions at its meeting on April 22nd, 1932 :
Without prejudice to other proposals which fall to be discussed under later heads
of the agenda, the Conference declares its approval of the principle of qualitative dis¬
armament—i.e., the selection of certain classes or descriptions of weapons the possession
or use of which should be absolutely prohibited to all States or internationalised by
means of a general Convention. ” (Document Conf.D./C.G.26(i).)
“ In seeking to apply the principle of qualitative disarmament, as defined in the
previous resolution, the Conference is of opinion that the range of land, sea and air
armaments should be examined by the competent Special Commissions with a view to
selecting those weapons whose character is the most specifically offensive or those most
efficacious against national defence or most threatening to civilians.” (Document Conf
D./C.G.28(2).)
As the question of chemical and bacteriological weapons and methods of warfare is one
which is common to land, sea and air armaments, and does not belong specifically to any
one of them, the General Commission, on May 10th, set up a Special Committee for the purpose
of enquiring into the question of chemical and bacteriological weapons in the light of the
second resolution regarding qualitative disarmament quoted above. The General Commission
decided that this Committee should be composed of representatives of the following fourteen
States : Australia, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom,
Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United States. 1
The Committee held seven meetings from May 18th to May 31st, 1932. It appointed
M. Pilotti Chairman and M. Rutgers Rapporteur. Separate study was given to the questions
of chemical weapons and methods of warfare, bacteriological weapons, and in addition
incendiary projectiles and flame-projectors.
The Committee finally adopted the resolutions which are to be found at the end of the
present report.
1 These States were represented by : Mr. Shedden (Australia) ; M. J. C. de Macedo Soares, Col.
E. Leitao de Carvalho, Commander A. de Vasconcellos (Brazil) : Captain C. M. Blackman, Brigadier-
General A. C. Temperley, Colonel A. G. C. Dawnay, Groud Captain T. L. Leigh-Mallory, Mr. Davidson
Pratt (United Kingdom) ; M. Purschel, M. Jesper Simonsen (Denmark) ; Professor Andr6 Mayer,
Captain Vautrin (France) ; Dr. Goppert, Dr. Ungewitter, Major Reinecke (Germany) ; General de
Marinis, M. Pilotti, Professor G. A. Di Nola, Major Righi, Captain Rapicavoli (Italy) ; Rear-Admiral
W. Komaki, M. J. Enomoto, M. Jiro Sogawa, Surgeon-Commander K. Kobayashi, M. T. Sakamoto,
Major Y. Harada (Japan) ; Professor V. H. Rutgers, General C. van Tuinen, Colonel Baron
J. J. G. van Voorst tot Voorst, Captain V. E. Wilmar (Netherlands) ; M. Titus Komarnicki,
Captain A. Poncet de Sandon (Poland) ; General J. G. Benitez (Spain) ; M. Haeberlin, M. C. Gorge
(Switzerland) ; M. Simon Ventzoff, M. Vladimir Egorieff (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics);
Brigadier-General George S. Simonds, Major B. Ord (United States).
Series of League of Nations Publications
IX. DISARMAMENT
1932. IX. 46.
S. d. N. 3.380 (F.) 2.525 (A.) 6/32 Imp. du J. de G.