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

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32. Article 7.
Shipments to be ettected under contracts entered into before the coming into
force of the present Convention shall be governed by its provisions.”
Viscount Cecil thought it difficult to apply this article to consignments already completed.
Major Hills (Rapporteur) pointed out that the article referred to contracts completed and
not to consignments.
Article 7 was adopted.
33. Article 8.
The High Conti acting I arties undertake to grant no export licences covering
either Category I or Category II to any country which refuses to accept the tutelage
under which it has been placed or which, after having been placed under the tutelage
of any Power, may endeavour to obtain from any other Power any of the arms or muni¬
tions of war in Category I or of the fire-arms or ammunition in Category II.”
M. Jouhaux asked for information as to the meaning of the article.
Viscount Cecil explained that his object was to forbid the supply to countries declining to
accept the tutelage of the mandatories. The question did not perhaps apply at the present
moment. 1
M. Hodac said that a clause which forbade a mandated country to procure sporting weapons
from a country other than the mandatory country seemed to him to go too far.
The Chairman explained that “from any other Power” meant “other than the intermediary”
and not other than the “mandatory country”.
M. Jancovici was doubtful as to the juridical value of the expression “which refuses to
accept the tutelage”.
M. Jouhaux observed that up to the present no importance had been attached to the question
o^at^8 and that it now seemed that Category II was important proportionately to its
Viscount Cecil said that the importation of sporting weapons destined for an uncivilised
country had an importance greater than if they were destined for a civilised country.
He proposed to suppress the phrase “which refuses to accept the tutelage under which it
has been placed, or”.
Article 8, with the omission proposed by Viscount Cecil and the addition “for despatch”
proposed by the Chairman, was put to the vote.
For 11;
Against 3.
Article 8 was adopted.
34- Article 9.
A Central International Office shall be established for the purpose of collecting
and preserving documents of all kinds exchanged by the High Contracting Parties
with regard to the trade in and distribution of the arms and ammunition in Category I
and Category II specified in the present Convention, as well as the texts of all laws,
orders and regulations made in the carrying out of the present Convention.
“Each of the High Contracting Parties shall publish an annual report showing
the export licences which it may have granted in respect of arms and munitions in
Category I or Category II, together with the quantities and destination of the arms
and munitions to which the export licences refer. A copy of this report shall be sent
to the Central International Office.
Further, the High Contracting Parties agree to send to the Central International
Office full statistical information as to the quantities and destination of all fire-arms
and ammunition in Category II exported without licence during the year, and those
of the High Contracting Parties which are Members of the League of Nations agree to send
all the above-mentioned documents, reports and information to the Secretary-General
of the League of Nations. Movements of armaments made by a Power within its own
area and for the use of its own military forces will not be included in this report.”
M. Hodac made a new suggestion: to institute an international Committee of representa¬
tives of eight States — four producing countries, four purchasing countries. This Committee
would be autonomous. The United States would have the right to send one representative.
Ihe other representatives would be nominated by the Council. States Members of the League
would send their documents to this Committee via the Secretariat, the others direct. The seat
of the Committee would be at Geneva if possible.
General de Marinis could not agree with M. Hodac for the reason already given the previous
day. He read Article 24 of the Covenant. This Committee would add to the international bureaux