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THIS DOCUMENT I S THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY' S GOVERNMENT).
COPY NO.
S 3 C R 3 T.
C A B I N E T
53 ( 3 5 ) .
M e e t i n g o f the C a h i n e t t o he h e l d i n t h e Prime
M i n i s t e r ' s Room, House o f Commons, on Monday,
9 t h December, 1935, a t 6.0 p.m.
A G E N D U M.
THE ITALO-ABYSSINIAN DISPUTE.
(Reference
Note b y
Affairs,
held in
between
Affairs
C a b i n e t 51 ( 3 5 )
Conclusion 1 ) .
the M i n i s t e r f o r League o f N a t i o n s
covering a Record of a Conversation
P a r i s on S a t u r d a y , 7th December, 1935,
the S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o r F o r e i g n
and Monsieur L a v a l .
(CP.
233 ( 3 5 )
-
circulated
herewith).
Note b y the S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e f o r F o r e i g n
A f f a i r s , c o n t a i n i n g an account o f t h e P a r i s
C o n v e r s a t i o n s , t o g e t h e r w i t h recommendations
as t o a c t i o n t o be t a k e n .
(CP.
235 ( 3 5 )
-
circulated
herewith),
Memorandum by t h e P r e s i d e n t o f the Board
Trade r e g a r d i n g O i l S u p p l i e s f o r I t a l y .
(CP.
236 ( 3 5 )
-
circulated
of!
herewith),
( S i gne d )
M.P.A. HANKEY,
S e c r e t a r y t o the Cabinet.
, Whitehall Gardens,
9th December,
S.W.I.
1935.
J^gjvvgMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT).
E T.
COPY NO.
C A B I N E T
58 ( 3 5 ) .
CONCLUSIONS of a Meeting of the Cabinet held, i a
the Prime M i n i s t e r ' s room, House of Commons,
on MONDAY, 9th DECEMBER, 1935, a t 6 p,m,
PRESENT;
The Right Hon. S t a n l e y Baldwin, M . P . ,
Prime M i n i s t e r .
( i n the C h a i r ) .
Ijhe Right Hon.
J, Ramsay MacDonald,
Lord President of the C o u n c i l .
The Right Hon.
N e v i l l e Chamberlain, M . P . ,
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
fie Right Hon.
The Viscount Hailsham,
Lord Chancellor.
The Right Hon.
S i r John Simon, G . C . S . I . , K . C . V . O . ,
O . B . E . , K . C . , M.P. , Secretary * f
S t a t e f o r Home A f f a i r s .
le Right Hon.
The Viscount H a l i f a x ,
G.C.S. I . , G.C. I . E . ,
Lord Privy S e a l .
[he Right Hon.
Malcolm MacDonald,
Secretary of State f o r
Affairs.
"he MoBt
K.G. ,
Dominion
Hon.
The Marquess of Z e t l a n d ,
G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E. , Secretary
of State f o r I n d i a .
he Right Hon.
J.H. Thomas , M. P. ,
Secretary of State f o r
Colonies.
the
The Right Hon*
A. Duff Cooper, D . S . O . , M . P . ,
S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e f o r War,
The Right Hon.
The Viscount Swinton, G . B . E . ,
M . C , S e c r e t a r y of State f o r
Air.
The Right Hon.
S i r Godfrey C o l l i n s , K . B . E . ,
C.M.G. , M . P . , S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e
f o r Scotland.
The Right Hon.
Anthony Eden, M.C. , M,P*,
M i n i s t o r f a r League of Nations
Affairs.
he Right Hon.
Lord Eustace Percy, M.P. ,
Minister without P o r t f o l i o .
The Right Hon.
W a l t e r E l l i o t , M.C., M . P . ,
M i n i s t e r f o r A g r i c u l t u r e and
Fisheries.
he Right Hon.
Oliver S t a n l e y , M . C . , M . P . ,
President of the Board of
Education.
The Right Hon.
S i r K i n g s l e y Wood, M.P. ,
M i n i s t e r of H e a l t h .
be Right Hon.
Ernest Brown, M.C.,
Minister of Labour.
The Right Hon.
W. Ormsby-Gore, M . P . ,
F i r s t Commissioner of Works.
D
M.P.,
loriei Sir M.P.A. Hankey, G.C.B. , G . C . M . G . ,
G.C.V.O.,
Secretary.
;
The C a b i n e t h e l d a S p e c i a l M e e t i n g t o
IRE ITALOABYSS IN IAN
DISPUTE.
Anglo-French
Conversations .
the f o l l o w i n g
Abyssinian
consider
documents i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e
Ital)-
dispute:-
A N o t e by the M i n i s t e r f o r League o f
Nations A f f a i r s ( C P . - 2 3 3 ( 3 5 ) )
c o v e r i n g a Record, o f a C o n v e r s a t i o n
h e l d i n P a r i s on S a t u r d a y , December 7,
1935, b e t w e e n t h e S e c r e t a r y o f S t a t e
f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s and M. L a v a l :
proposed.
Embargo on
Oil Supplies
for I t a l y .
Propose^ B a s i s
of Peace D i s ­
cus?ions .
A Memorandum by t h e S e c r e t a r y o f
State for Foreign A f f a i r s
(CP.-235
( 3 5 ) ) g i v i n g an account o f t h e P a r i s
Conversations, together w i t h urgent
recommendations as t o t h e a c t i o n t o
be t a k e n .
A t t a c h e d t o t h e Memorandum
was a n o t e on P r o c e d u r e , and . s u g g e s t e d
d r a f t t e l e g r a m s t o Rome o u t l i n i n g
p r o p o s a l s which t h e U n i t e d Kingdom
and, F r e n c h Governments proposed t o
submit t o t h e Committee o f F i v e a t
Geneva as a b a s i s o f n e g o t i a t i o n f o r
a s e t t l e m e n t o f the d i s p u t e :
(Previous
Reference:
Cabinet
( 3 5 ) , Con­
olusion
)
A Memorandum by t h e P r e s i d e n t o f t h e
Board o f Trade ( C P . - 2 3 6 ( 3 5 ) ) on
the s u b j e c t o f o i l s u p p l i e s f o r I t a l y ,
a n n e x i n g a memorandum by t h e A n g l o Iranian"" O i l Company and t h e S h e l l
Group, which made i t c l e a r t h a t t h e
Companies do not c o n s i d e r t h a t a
v o l u n t a r y l i m i t a t i o n o f shipments
t o I t a l y c o u l d be e f f e c t e d , and
t h a t i n t h e i r v i e w t h e y would i n c u r
r e a l r i s k s i n I t a l y i f by t h e i r own
v o l u n t a r y a c t i o n they endeavoured t o
r e s t r i c t shipments.
A Memorandum by
t h e P e t r o l e u m Department o f the Board
o f Trade was a l s o a t t a c h e d , b r i n g i n g
up t o d a t e t h e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n t a i n e d
i n Annex I t o C P . - 2 1 2 ( 3 5 ) .
x
A r e v i s e d v e r s i o n o f t h e Annexes t o t h e
n o t e was c i r c u l a t e d , s h o r t l y b e f o r e t h e
Meeting.
The Prime M i n i s t e r
informed, t h e Cabinet t h a t
M e e t i n g had b e e n summoned, a t t h e r e q u e s t o f
Secretary of
letter
State
( w h i c h t h e Prime M i n i s t e r
colleagues)
read to
S t a t e had s t r o n g l y
p r o p o s a l s should be a d o p t e d .
the
In a short
his
c o v e r i n g h i s Memorandum and i t s
the Secretary o f
his
f o r F o r e i g n A^ffairs .
the
Annexes
recommended, t h a t
The Prime
Minister
s a i d t h a t b o t h t h e P r e s i d e n t o f t h e Board, o f T r a d e
and t h e F i r s t L o r d o f t h e A d m i r a l t y were a b s e n t
indisposition.
through
The l a t t e r ha.d. informed, him t h a t he
s u p p o r t e d t h e recommendations o f t h e F o r e i g n
Secretary
The M i n i s t e r
f o r League o f N a t i o n s A f f a i r s
t h e C a b i n e t t o a g r e e t o two amendments t o
proposed procedure .
Paris
in full
t h e Committee o f
that Signor Mussolini
of
the
should be
t h e p r o p o s a l s t o be s u b m i t t e d
Five
F r e n c h Governments
the
I t had been a r r a n g e d a t
conversations
informed
asked
a t Geneva by t h e
as a b a s i s f o r
B r i t i s h and
discussion,
and
should be asked t o a g r e e t o them i n p r i n c i p l e ,
t h e Emperor o f A b y s s i n i a was t o be n o t i f i e d
appropriate
form t h a t t h i s
and
i n an
a t t e m p t a t peace was
b e i n g made and t h a t
the A b y s s i n i a n s would have t h e
fullest
of
to i t
opportunity
explaining their
at t h e Committee o f
Five.
position
As t h e new
p r o p o s a l s went i n some r e s p e c t s a good d e a l
than t h e e a r l i e r
proposals o f
i n so much as t h e y i n v o l v e d
i n the North .
East o f A b y s s i n i a ,
to treat
the Committee o f
exchanges o f
him e x a c t l y
seemed f a i r e r
Five,
territory
t o t h e Emperor
t h e same as S i g n o r
and send him t h e w h o l e p r o p o s a l s .
Mussolini
His Majesty s
1
Ambassador i n P a r i s had a g r e e d t o t h i s
and i t
further
as w e l l as i n t h e South and
it
suggestion,
was hoped t h a t he and S i r R o b e r t
Vans.ittart
(who was i n P a r i s ) would be a b l e t o a r r a n g e
this
w i t h t h e French Government.
of
A second p o i n t
procedure which, a f t e r mentioning
it
t o t h e Prime
M i n i s t e r , he had asked S i r Robert V a n s i t t a r t
a r r a n g e , was t h a t ,
Meeting of
instead of
postponing
to
the
the Committee o f E i g h t e e n on December
1 2 t h , w h i c h t h e B r i t i s h and French Governments had
no a u t h o r i t y
t o d o , t h e M e e t i n g should t a k e
as a r r a n g e d and the B r i t i s h and French
tives
should s t a t e
peace e f f o r t
matter
that
place
representa­
t h e y were engaged on a
and ask t h e Committee t o r e f e r
t o t h e Committee o f F i v e
(Spain, the
Kingdom, P r a n c e , Turkey and P o l a n d ) .
admittedly,
to
increased the r i s k of
the
United
That,
leakage,
but,
as t h e French had a l r e a d y a l l o w e d t h e p r o p o s a l s
out i n t o t h e i r P r e s s ,
t h i s d i d n o t much m a t t e r .
c o u r s e he now p r o p o s e d were a d o p t e d ,
E i g h t e e n would p r o b a b l y a d j o u r n ,
oil
s a n c t i o n would be p o s t p o n e d .
of Nations A f f a i r s
and t h e q u e s t i o n o f
The M i n i s t e r
for
territory
compensation i n an o u t l e t
of
the t e r r i t o r y
i n the area f o r
League
in
but he
t o the sea;
that i t
and he
was p r o p o s e d
economic d e v e l o p m e n t ,
the
He added
t h a t a t Geneva he would want t o i n t e r p r e t
as g e n e r o u s l y as p o s s i b l e
added c e r t a i n d e t a i l s
of
for
from Mr, M a u r i c e P e t e r s o n ,
of
League o f N a t i o n s A f f a i r s ,
t h a t some f e a t u r e s
distasteful
colleagues
o f t h e p r o p o s a l s were l i k e l y
to prove
the League o f
t h a t M. L a v a l , w h i l e s t a t i n g
would honour her o b l i g a t i o n s
further
sanctions,
Five.
that
t o the League and i t s
had made c l e a r
i n the
France
Member
result
conversations
t h a t s a n c t i o n s were unpopular t o an i m p o r t a n t s e c t i o n
French p u b l i c o p i n i o n .
T h i s , which had perhaps
the Foreign S e c r e t a r y ,
r a i s e d doubts as t o w h e t h e r
i n the e v e n t ,
particularly
of
influenced
,
a c t i v e French c o - o p e r a t i o n c o u l d b e r e l i e d
if
Signor Mussolini
very
Nations,
S t a t e s i n t h e e v e n t o f an I t a l i a n a g g r e s s i o n as the
of
for
Foreign
i n c l u d i n g S t a t e s r e p r e s e n t e d on t h e Committee o f
He m e n t i o n e d ' a l s o
who had
The M i n i s t e r
bound t o warn h i s
t o some S t a t e s Members o f
proposals
t h a t he had g a t h e r e d
w h i l e supporting the
proposals, f e l t
the
He then
the F o r e i g n O f f i c e ,
been p r e s e n t at the P a r i s d i s c u s s i o n s .
that
the
Signor Mussolini.
the p r o p o s a l s
with
the N o r t h would be
he had r e c e i v e d a p e r s o n a l message from M. L a v a l t o
Secretary's
the
He emphasised
w h o l e o f w h i c h , h o w e v e r , was n o n - A m h a r i c .
effect
the
of
the Emperor o f A b y s s i n i a t o a c c e p t ,
p o i n t e d out t h e e x t e n t
to include
If
then e x p l a i n e d t h e P a r i s p r o p o s a l s
t h a t t h e p r o p o s e d exchange o f
would r e c e i v e
leak
t h e Committee
the a i d o f maps, w h i c h were handed round.
the h a r d e s t f o r
to
should accept the
/but t h e Emperor o f
on,
proposal
Abyssinia
should r e f u s e .
I f t h e League o f
t h e Emperor s h o u l d r e j e c t
a t t i t u d e was hard t o
N a t i o n s as w e l l
as
the proposals the French
forecast.
The p r o p o s a l s were d i s c u s s e d by t h e Cabinet a t some
length.
I t was r e c o g n i s e d t h a t i f
and t h e League should
basis
for
all
Italy,
accept the proposals
Italy
of
the
Government.
and t h e League should a c c e p t , but
should r e f u s e ,
Abyssinia
t h e p o s i t i o n would b e more
as France would f e e l
operate in further
If
justified
difficult,
i n refusing
s a n c t i o n s or t h e i r
to
co­
consequences.
b o t h t h e League and A b y s s i n i a should r e j e c t
proposals, while
Italy
accepted
In t h a t e v e n t t h e f i r s t
and n e g o t i a t e
the p o s s i b i l i t y
for
the ques' i o n o f
this
a basis o f
i n w h i c h t h e League was d i v i d e d
adhere t o our
it
on
decide
recommendation
was p o i n t e d o u t , was u n l i k e l y
acceptance o f
discussion;
o r an a r m i s t i c e —
the p r o p o s a l ,
he was l i k e l y
an I t a l i a n w i t h d r a w a l
from o c c u p i e d
suggested
that
the
that
sanctions
I t was
These, however, were f e l t
could
t o be
future.
Among c r i t i c i s m s
t h e y were b e t t e r
ask
difficult
economic s a n c t i o n s , once r a i s e d ,
n e v e r be r e i m p o s e d .
for
to
territory
and t h a t would r a i s e t h e
c o u l d be m a i n t a i n e d d u r i n g a n . a r m i s t i c e .
to
even as
at l e a s t
q u e s t i o n o f w h e t h e r t h e p r e s e n t economic
o f Five?
but
an u n d e s i r a b l e
s a n c t i o n s and o f our h a v i n g t o
give a definite
problems
to
proposal.
The S m p e r o r ,
for
difficulty.
a more a c c e p t a b l e b a s i s ;
w h e t h e r we would s t i l l
of
and
the
t h i n g t o be done would be
was r e c o g n i s e d o f
position arising
the
them as a b a s i s ,
p o s i t i o n would be one o f u n c e r t a i n t y
try
as a
d i s c u s s i o n t h e p o s i t i o n would be s a t i s factor,?
as c o n f o r m i n g t o t h e d e c l a r e d p o l i c y
If
Abyssinia
of
for
the actual
Italy
proposals were
than t h o s e o f t h e
i t would be s a i d t h a t
Italy's
that
Committee
resort
t o f o r c e had g a i n e d h e r more than she c o u l d have
obtained otherwise;
Company was r a t h e r
the sphere o f
in the
exploitation
for
and
that
I t a l y was
On t h e o t h e r hand t h e p r o p o s a l s
fell
s h o r t o f what S i g n o r M u s s o l i n i had demanded
summer.
The q u e s t i o n was r a i s e d as t o why t h e
had not b e e n sent t o t h e League o f
t h e y w e r e sent t o
still
Chartered
a dubious p r o p o s i t i o n :
economic
unduly e x t e n d e d .
a good d e a l
t h a t the suggested
be done-
probably
Italy,
proposals
Nations
and w h e t h e r t h i s
before
could
I t was s u g g e s t e d t h a t M. L a v a l had
thought
i t more advantageous
o f view o f Signor M u s s o l i n i ' s
from t h e
amour pro pre, t o
t h e p r o p o s a l s t o him i n t h e f i r s t
instance.
to r e c e i v e
M u s s o l i n i than i f
favourable
point
send
Proposals
from t h e U n i t e d Kingdom and France were f a r
likely
not
more
c o n s i d e r a t i o n from
Signor
t h e y emanated from t h e L e a g u e .
There w e r e ,
i t was s u g g e s t e d , o b v i o u s a d v a n t a g e s
g e t t i n g the
assent o f
be d o n e , b e f o r e
t h e two p a r t i e s ,
submitting proposals
and e v e r y t h i n g p o s s i b l e
if
this
t o the
in
could
League,
should be done t o s e c u r e t h i s .
T h e r e was g e n e r a l agreement i n t h e p r o p o s a l o f
Minister
f o r League o f N a t i o n s A f f a i r s
that
the
p r o p o s e d pea.ce terms ought t o be communicated
A b y s s i n i a a t t h e same t i m e as t o
Emperor should be s t r o n g l y
a basis
for
The f a c t
discussion,
that
or at l e a s t
indispensable.
the
t o a c c e p t them as
not t o r e j e c t
t h e terms had l e a k e d out i n t h e
P r e s s made t h i s
to
I t a l y , and t h a t
pressed
the
Mi L a v a l ' s
Paris
agreement
t o a t e l e g r a m t o A b y s s i n i a o u g h t , i t was u r g e d ,
to
be o b t a i n e d
in
the d r a f t
t h e same e v e n i n g ,
telegram to
and our agreement
I t a l y ought t o be made
condi­
t i o n a l on h i s a c c e p t a n c e o f t h i s .
Towards t h e end. o f
of
State
the d i s c u s s i o n the
Secretary
f o r A i r informed the Cabinet t h a t ,
such s l i g h t
them.
from
i n f o r m a t i o n as he had r e c e i v e d by
telephone
from P a r i s , t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n s
c o - o p e r a t i o n w e r e not p r o c e e d i n g v e r y
The C a b i n e t a g r e e d
on a i r
favourably.
—
(a)
To support t h e p o l i c y o f t h e S e c r e t a r y
o f S t a t e f o r F o r e i g n A f f a i r s as set­
f o r t h i n h i s Memorandum ( C P . - 2 3 5 ( 3 5 ) )
and t h e (amended) A n n e x e s :
(b)
To a p p r o v e t h e m o d i f i c a t i o n o f p r o c e d u r e
proposed by t h e M i n i s t e r f o r League o f
Nations' A f f a i r s w i t h the o b j e c t o f
s e c u r i n g t h e support o f t h e League o f
Nations to the basis f o r discussion
as soon as p o s s i b l e :
that is to say,
t h a t the M e e t i n g o f t h e Committee o f
F i g h t e e n at Geneva should t a k e p l a c e
on December 1 2 t h , as a l r e a d y a r r a n g e d ,
and t h a t t h e B r i t i s h and French
R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s should i n f o r m t h e
Committee g e n e r a l l y o f t h e p o s i t i o n
and i n v i t e i t t o r e f e r t h e e x a m i n a t i o n
o f t h e peace p r o p o s a l s t o t h e Committee
of F i v e .
Meanwhile i t was assumed t h a t
t h e d e c i s i o n on t h e O i l S a n c t i o n would
be a d j o u r n e d :
(c)
To a u t h o r i s e t h e M i n i s t e r f o r League
o f N a t i o n s A f f a i r s ( i n t h e absence o f
the F o r e i g n S e c r e t a r y ) to despatch the
( r e v i s e d ) d r a f t t e l e g r a m (annexed t o
C P . - 2 3 5 ( 3 5 ) ) t o Rome, p r o v i d e d t h a t a
s i m i l a r t e l e g r a m i s sent by France and
t h i s country t o A b y s g i n i a :
(d.) To ask t h e M i n i s t e r f o r League o f
N a t i o n s A f f a i r s t o take immediate
s t e p s t o o b t a i n the agreement o f t h e
F r e n c h Government t o f c ) , and t o p o i n t
out t o them t h a t , as t h e proposed b a s i s
f o r d i s c u s s i o n had l e a k e d o u t i n t h e
F r e n c h P r e s s , i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o make
a communication t o one p a r t y and not
to the o t h e r ;
(e)
T h a t , when t h e proposed b a ^ i s i s
forwarded t o Addis Ababa, a message
should be s e n t t o t h e B r i t i s h M i n i s t e r
a s k i n g him t o do h i s b e s t t o induce
t h e Emperor t o a c c e p t , o r a t l e a s t n o t
t o r e j e c t i t out o f hand:
(f)
That t h e M e e t i n g o f the C a b i n e t on
Wednesday, December 1 1 t h , should be
h e l d a t 10 a . m . i n o r d e r t o a f f o r d
an o p p o r t u n i t y f o r f u r t h e r d i s c u s s i o n
o f these matters in the l i g h t o f the
l a t e s t developments b e f o r e t h e d e p a r t u r e
o f t h e M i n i s t e r f o r League o f N a t i o n s
A f f a i r s f o r Geneva.
2 , W h i t e h a l l G a r d e n s , S. /F.l
December 9 , 1 9 3 5 .
: