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

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4. Instructions for the Rapporteurs.
Discussion was opened, as to the instructions to be given to the Rapporteurs concerning1
the work on the control of Traffic in Arms. 8
j J0UHAUX yrged that the Rapporteurs should simply prepare a summary of the discussions
and of the general principles involved and should not attempt a new draft.
• u,Txhe Rapporteurs thought that their work should not be so restricted and demanded the
right to present a preliminary draft as a basis for discussion.
M. Jouhaux asked that the procedure followed in the drafting of the draft Treaty of Mutual
assistance should be adhered to in this case, namely, that the Rapporteurs should simply compare
the available texts and try to reconcile them, but should not put forward a new draft.
. ,The Chairman said that in order to obtain a quick result, there must be a text on which
hntbtwtb dcCw1,|T's and that 'f wc>uId bfta good thing if the Rapporteurs could produce one,
but that the Sub-Commission could always decide to work on another text. The text produced
by the Rapporteurs need not be given special preference. P
Viscount Cecil explained the position of the Sub-Commission in regard to the question of Traffic.
Jhe^ssenJblV h^recJm,maended ^he Convention of St. Germain. The United States had refused
to adhere to it. They had been asked to give their objections, and had done so
r +, ThJ; Afs^lZ now asked the Commission to submit a draft which would meet the objections
ol the United States; it was therefore obvious that the Convention of St. Germain should be the
basis of discussion and that it was for the Commission to try to find amendments which would
make the Convention acceptable to all Governments. The duty of the Rapporteurs would be
erefore, to recast the _ Convention in the light of the general discussions at the plenary Com¬
mission and on the basis of the texts presented to them. ^
c, J*1 Dupriez> Rapporteur, entirely approved Viscount Cecil’s observation. The Convention of
St. Germam contained 26 articles, four-fifths of which had not been under discussion. The
C01!!61!11?11 °f Sr Germam merely laid d°wn general principles and gave no details concerning
ofeed^luGonf0VernmentS °f S°Vereign States‘ U was 011 these details that the drafts presented
M. Jouhaux said that the Commission had not instructed the Sub-Commission to use the
Convention of St. Germam as its basis.
Vtscount Cecil repeated that the duty expressly laid down on the Temporary Mixed Commission
by the Assembly was to find a way of inducing the United States to sign the Convention- to
embark on an entirely new text would be to throw away the substance for a shadow. Search for
an ideal should not prevent the members of the Commission from being practical.
M. Jouhaux said that he had no intention of obstructing by insisting on his draft, but as the
Convention of St. Germam was a dead letter, it seemed to him essential to produce a new text
bvffbtanrH1^g^°fmend ^ Convention, he wished to be certain that the objections submitted
y the United States would be the only objections they would have to meet.
Major Hills, Rapporteur, said that he would have preferred to present a new draft but that
he agreed to amend the Convention of St. Germain. He wished, however, to have his hands free
on the questions of amendments to be introduced, as circumstances had changed considerably
smce Lgiq. fn drafting these amendments, it was very important to take account of all the points
raised by the general discussion. pomes
The CHAiRMAN entirely agreed with Major Hills. It was the duty of the Rapporteurs to prepare
a prehmmary draft as a basis for discussion by the Sub-Commission) the draft should be founded on
it should^tlk^hRl6 Conveif10^^ SJ- Germain, as modified in the light of the general discussion ;
M fnl/hJlJ TIU nCCum! °f taft? t)resented by Admiral the Marquis de Magaz and by
preference' ^ ^ ^resented hy Rapporteurs would not, however, be given any specih