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

Document 20
TEMPORARY MIXED COMMISSION FOR THE REDUCTION
OF ARMAMENTS.
EXTRACTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE TENTH SESSION,
Geneva, July yth-i2th, 1924.
FIRST MEETING.
Held on Monday, July yth, 1924, at 4 p.m.
1. Letter and Statement of the Representative of the United States of America.
The Secretary read the following letter:
“My dear Sir Eric Drummond
Berne, June 25th, 1924.
“I beg to refer to Mr. Grew’s letter of February 2nd, 1924, stating that, in response
to a communication from the Acting President of the Council of the League of Nations
inviting the Government of the United States to co-operate with the Temporary Mixed
Commission in the preparation of a new Convention for the regulation of the traffic in
arms, to supersede the Convention of St. Germain, he had been instructed by his Govern¬
ment to attend the meetings of the Commission in question in order that he might be
fully advised with regard to the proposals made and particularly to receive information
respecting the draft Convention which was to be considered by the Commission.
“I now take pleasure in informing you that I have been instructed by my Govern¬
ment to attend the meetings of the Temporary Mixed Commission which open at Geneva
on July 7th next in the same capacity as that of my predecessor.
{Signed) Hugh Gibson. ”
The Chairman welcomed the members who were replacing those who were absent. He also
welcomed Mr. Gibson, to whom he expressed the satisfaction felt by the Commission in having
him as a colleague and collaborator.
Mr. Gibson thanked the Chairman for his welcome and made the following declaration:
“As I informed the Secretary-General in a letter dated June 25th, I have been
instructed by my Government to co-operate with this Commission in the preparation of
a new Convention for the regulation of the traffic in arms and munitions, to supersede the
Convention of St. Germain, and my attendance here is in the same capacity as that of
Mr. Grew at the last meeting of the Commission at Geneva and the more recent meeting
of the First Sub-Commission at Paris. Inasmuch as Mr. Grew clearly set forth the atti¬
tude of my Government with regard to the questions under consideration both at Geneva
and at Paris, it would not appear necessary for me to make any further statement of a
general character. If requested, however, as the various phases of the matter arise for
discussion, I shall be glad, as far as I am able, to clarify further the position of my
Government.