W C ▁The ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁Gene va ▁Pro tocol , ▁rat ified ▁by ▁most ▁major ▁powers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 3 0 s , ▁had ▁still ▁not ▁been ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁at ▁the ▁dawn ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁Among ▁the ▁Pro tocol ' s ▁prov isions ▁was ▁a ▁ban ▁on ▁b acter i ological ▁war fare . ▁The ▁Gene va ▁Pro tocol ▁had ▁encountered ▁opposition ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate , ▁in ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁strong ▁lo bb ying ▁against ▁it ▁by ▁the ▁Chem ical ▁War fare ▁Service , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁never ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁floor ▁for ▁a ▁vote ▁when ▁originally ▁introduced . ▁Reg ard less , ▁on ▁June ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁President ▁Ro ose vel t ▁aff ir med ▁a ▁no - first - use ▁policy ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁concerning ▁bi ological ▁weapons . ▁Even ▁with ▁Ro ose vel t ' s ▁declaration ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁Pro tocol ▁remained ▁strong ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁the ▁Pro tocol ▁was ▁among ▁several ▁old ▁treat ies ▁returned ▁to ▁President ▁Harry ▁S . ▁Tr uman ▁un rat ified . ▁ ▁When ▁N ixon ▁ended ▁the ▁U . S . ▁bio - we ap ons ▁program ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁he ▁also ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁res ub mit ▁the ▁Gene va ▁Pro tocol ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁move ▁N ixon ▁was ▁considering