Disarmament Resolution “C.”
The Assembly, taking account of the provisions of the Declaration Outlawing Aggressive War, is of opinion
1. Powers which have ratified the said Declaration may, subject to the following provisions, conclude, either as between two of them or as between a larger number, agreements complementary to the said Declaration, exclusively for the purpose of their mutual defense and intended solely to facilitate the carrying out of the measures prescribed in said Declaration, determining in advance the assistance which they would give to each other in the event of any act of aggression.
Such agreements may, if the H.C.P. interested so desire, be negotiated and concluded under the auspices of the Council.
2. Complementary agreements as defined in the preceding paragraph, shall, before being registered, be examined by the Council with a view to deciding whether they are in accordance with the principles of said Declaration and of the Covenant.
In particular, the Council shall consider if the cases of aggression contemplated in these agreements are of a nature to give rise to an obligation to give assistance on the part of the other H.C.P.
The Council may, if necessary, suggest changes in the texts of the agreements submitted to it.
When recognised, the agreements shall be registered in conformity with Article 16 of the Covenant. They shall be regarded as complementary to the said Declaration and shall in no way limit the general obligations of the H.C.P. nor the sanctions contemplated against an aggressor under the terms of said Declaration.
They will be open to any other H.C.P., Party to said Declaration with the consent of the Signatory States.
3. In all cases of aggression, for which provision is made in the agreement constituting a defensive group, the H.C.P. which are members of such group may undertake to put into operation automatically the plan of assistance agreed upon between them; and in all other cases of aggression or menace or danger of aggression, directly aimed at them, they will consult each other before taking action, and will inform the Council of the measures which they are contemplating.
4. The Council, taking into account the reports and opinions of the Commission set up under Resolution B of this Assembly, shall at any time when requested, consider summarily whether (a) the armaments of any State are in excess of those fixed under the provisions of any agreement relating to reduction or limitation or armaments; or (b) the military or other preparations of any State are of such a nature as to cause apprehension of aggression or an eventual outbreak of hostilities.
5. If the Council shall upon such request be of the opinion that there is reasonable ground for thinking that a menace of aggression has arisen, the parties to the defensive agreements hereinbefore mentioned may put into immediate execution the plan of assistance which they have agreed upon.
6. If the Council shall, upon such request, not be of the opinion that a menace of aggression has arisen, a public report to the effect shall be made and in such case no State shall be under any obligation to put into execution any plan of assistance to which it is a party; but any Member of the League, believing itself to be threatened with a menace of aggression, notwithstanding the fact that the Council has not been of such opinion, may forthwith notify the Council to that effect, and such Member shall thereupon have full liberty of action in military or other preparations for defense, subject, however, to the limitations as to armament which are imposed by any treaty now in force.
“In order to facilitate the examination of this suggestion, we have prepared the four draft papers which follow. These papers are a Draft Declaration Outlawing Aggressive War (with a Draft Assembly Resolution regarding the same) and three Draft Resolutions of the Assembly regarding Disarmament.
“Aside from the necessary drafting changes required by the change of form, the text of these papers is substantially, and except in a few instances, literally the same as that of the Draft Treaty of Disarmament and Security above mentioned.”
Notes
1 In their earlier form, as a Draft Treaty of Disarmament and Security, these proposals were circulated to the Members of the Council of the League in June, 1924. For the text, see World Peace Foundation Pamphlets, Vol. VII, No. 8. In the form here printed, the so-called “American Plan” was given out at Geneva on August 29, 1924, with the following note by General Bliss, Professor Shotwell and myself:
“It has been suggested that the proposals of the Draft Treaty of Disarmament and Security prepared by the American Group, of which we are members, might be drawn up in some form other than that of one Treaty.