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

Document 11
REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE FIRST SUB-COMMISSION TO THE
TEMPORARY MIXED COMMISSION ON THE DRAFT CONVEN¬
TION DRAWN UP BY THE SAID SUB - COMMISSION, MARCH
27th, 1924.
At its last meeting, the Temporary Mixed Commission adopted the following resolution:
“The Temporary Mixed Commission refers the Convention of St. Germain and the
two draft Conventions presented by Admiral de Magaz and M. Jouhaux to the First
Sub-Commission for examination and requests the Sub-Commission, having in view
the discussions on the subject which have taken place at this session, to present a draft
convention for the consideration of the Temporary Mixed Commission at its next
session.”
The Commission dealt with this question under the authority of a resolution of the Fourth
Assembly which explicitly stated:
‘TV {a). The Assembly recommends that the Temporary Mixed Commission
should be invited to prepare a new Convention or Conventions to replace that of St.
Germain for the control of the traffic in arms.
“The Temporary Mixed Commission should be requested to draw up the draft
convention or conventions in such a form that they might be accepted by the Govern¬
ments of all countries which produce arms or munitions of war.
“The Temporary Mixed Commission should, however, also make alternative pro¬
posals for a convention or conventions which might be adopted by some of the produc¬
ing Powers, even if others refused their co-operation.
“The Assembly recommends that the Council should invite the United States
Government to appoint representatives to co-operate with the Temporary Mixed Com¬
mission in preparing the draft convention or conventions.
“IV (6). The Assembly recommends that, when the Council has received the report
of the Temporary Mixed Commission concerning the arms traffic and private manu¬
facture of arms, it should consider the question of summoning an international
conference to draw up conventions on this subject.”
It should be pointed out that the work on this subject undertaken by the Temporary Mixed
Commission was based on two articles of the Covenant: Article 23, which makes the following
provision with regard to the control of the international traffic in arms:
“Subject to and in accordance with the provisions of international conventions
existing or hereafter to be agreed upon, the Members of the League:
“(d) Will entrust the League with the general supervision of the trade in arms and
ammunition with the countries in which the control of this traffic is necessary in the
common interest”,
and Article 8, the penultimate paragraph of which reads as follows:
“The Members of the League agree that the manufacture by private enterprise of
munitions and implements of war is open to grave objections. The Council shall advise
how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard
being had to the necessities of those Members of the League which are not able to manu¬
facture the munitions and implements of war necessary for their safety.”
The above articles taken together indicate both the object and the method of the work of
the Sub-Commission on this question.
Its object has been twofold: in the first place, to control “the trade in arms and ammunition
in the countries in which the control of this traffic is necessary in the common interest”; in the