Armament > Conference for the control of the international trade in arms, munitions and implements of war

Document 4.
DRAFT CONVENTION RELATIVE TO THE CONTROL OF THE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ARMS, MUNITIONS AND IMPLE¬
MENTS OF WAR, TOGETHER WITH COVERING LETTER, EXPLA¬
NATORY MEMORANDUM AND MEMORANDUM CONTAINING A
DRAFT RESOLUTION
Submitted by M. Jouhaux to the Temporary Mixed Commission (January 2&th, 1924).
{Translation.
Letter from M. Jouhaux.
Geneva, January 28th, 1924.
T rpm1!SV^otheKh°n0Urit? f5)rward1to y°u> on behalf of the Workers’ Group, two documents which
a™ y hA C^lated.as early as possible to the members of the Commission, so that they
may be discussed at the session which is due to begin on February 4th next.
Ihese documents are:
(1) Draft of a Convention for regulating the Control of the Traffic in Arms and
Munitions. In conformity with the decision adopted by the last Assembly, the Workers’
pOup is submitting a draft Convention to the Temporary Mixed Commission. This
convention aims at establishing a complete system of Government licences, which
would in turn be subject to a public international control. This international control
shouid, in the view of the Workers’ Group, be exercised by the Council of the League
ot -Nations, which is entrusted by the Covenant with the duty of formulating a programme
tor the reduction of armaments and of seeing that it is carried into effect, in order to
ensure the maintenance of the peace of the world.
(2) A draft resolution, which should render it possible, without waiting for the
signature and ratification of the draft Convention by the Governments, to obtain the
immediate publication of all the facts relating to the traffic in arms and munitions.
th<l)Vor(ke,rS <;,rOUp is that the results of this publication should be submitted
r.Vc,,m!tLtLthe«Au?mbly °f the LeagUe of Nati?ns. s0 that they may be freely discussed under
circumstances affording every guarantee of publicity.
• r®soIutlons. ad°pted by the last Assembly, the Temporary Mixed Commission was
pnnfrli f A •W .Up’ m c<C°Peration with the Economic Committee, a draft Convention for the
w whe Pflvate manufacture of arms and munitions, which might be subsequently discussed
by tue international Conference to be convened by the Council.
rtrorJiS ^ Council and the Assembly had in view was the draft which had been
prepared by Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith and which had been adopted in principle by the Tem¬
porary Mixed Commission. r u .y
, • TTh/ £?mm fslon has' however, before it a second draft treaty submitted by Colonel Carnegie,
"urther elaborates some of the principles in Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith’s project. The
Economic^CommiUee6^6 t0 °n thG final t6Xt WhiCh iS t0 be transmitted to the
, lhe Workers’ Group intends to propose the prohibition of the private manufacture of arms
on tffiirmarlufadiure00118101618 ^ 1S the °nly Way °f Preventin§ the evil effects attendant
^mJ^lWOT}erS\uTOUp’\[°W7.e^ desires t0 P°int out that Colonel Carnegie’s scheme would not
nr. fE produce the results which its author has in view (i.e., to prevent the evil effects attendant
+e Pnfvate manufacture of arms and munitions). Indeed, the Workers’ Group considers it
ssential, tor this purpose, to give the State which is responsible definite and effective control
hwE c armaments firms, to ensure the fullest publicity for the manufacturing licences granted
y e State, and to provide for the auditing of the accounts and the detailed financial statements
ot the producing firms.
Finally, it also appears essential that all the documents relating to this control and private
manufacture should be forwarded to the Council of the League of Nations, which alone possesses
complete information on the subject, and is therefore alone in a position to sav whether the
“T a^cePted by fbc States which have signed the Covenant, the Treaties^ of Peace and
eventually the Treaties of Assistance, have been observed.
(Signed) E. Jouhaux.