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

an international conference for the purpose of adopting such a convention as has been
contemplated.
“The Government of the United States, as is well known, is in cordial sympathy
with efforts suitably to restrict trade in arms and ammunition of war, and it will be glad
to co-operate in the formulation of any plan which would warrant the belief that necessary
legislation could be obtained to give it effect.
“To this end the United States would be disposed to give favourable consideration
to an invitation to participate in an appropriate international conference of Powers for
the purpose of negotiating and concluding such a convention.
(Signed) Hugh Gibson.”
The President said that the Council would certainly be gratified at the spirit of co-operation
shown in the answer of the Government of the United States.
M. Bene s’ report was adopted by the Council.
SEVENTEENTH" MEETING
Held 071 Tuesday, Septe7nber 30th, 1924, at 10.30 a.m.
3. Resolutions adopted by the Assembly on September 27th, 1924: Control of International
Trade in Arms, Munitions and Implements of War (Resolution 1, Trade in Arms).
M. Benes read his report as follows:
The memorandum by the Secretary-General furnished the Council with a statement of the
questions raised by the foregoing resolution of the Assembly and the Report of the Temporary
Mixed Commission, on which it is based. The Assembly proposes that the Council should submit
to the Governments of the States Members and non-members of the League the draft Convention
drawn up by the Temporary Mixed Commission, and requests these Governments to inform the
Secretary-General, before the Council meets in December, whether they are prepared to take
part in a Conference to be convened in April or May 1925 for the purpose of discussing this draft
Convention.
I would suggest that the Council should follow the Assembly’s suggestion, but should post¬
pone taking a decision regarding the exact date on which the Conference is to be held until our
December meeting.
The Council might therefore adopt the following resolution:
“On the proposal of the Assembly, the Council decides to authorise the Secretary-
General to submit to the Governments of the States Members and non-members of the
League of Nations the draft Convention relating to the Control of the International
Trade in Arms, Munitions and Implements of War drawn up by the Temporary Mixed
Commission, and to request these Governments to inform him, before the Council meets
in December, whether they are prepared to take part in a Conference to be convened
in April or May 1925 for the purpose of discussing the draft Convention.”
With regard to Article 9, which gives rise to certain difficulties submitted for the Council’s
consideration in the Temporary Mixed Commission’s report, the best method of arriving at a
completely satisfactory solution would appear to be to leave it to the various Governments to
which the draft is to be submitted, should the Council approve the draft resolution quoted above,
to study from their respective points of view the problems raised and the solutions which might
be given to the question of establishing the prohibited zones referred to, so as to enable the Con¬
ference to discuss this question and to reach an agreement. If the Council shares this opinion,
I would propose that it should add the following paragraph to the resolution:
“The Secretary-General will communicate to the various Governments the report
of the Temporary Mixed Commission and also the Minutes of that Commission relating
to the discussion of Article 9, in order that the representatives of the Governments on
the International Conference may have the requisite information to enable them to
come to a decision on the problems raised by this article, which was adopted in principle
by the Temporary Mixed Commission.”
4. Statement by M. Guani on Articles 3 and 25 of the Draft Convention.
M. Guani said:
There is no need to discuss the draft before us, but before sending it to the Governments
I wish to make certain observations.