500.A15/152: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan ( MacVeagh )

[Paraphrase]

15. Your despatch No. 39, January 5. The Department’s monthly political report for December contains the text of the League invitation to the disarmament meeting and an analysis of subjects which the Commission is to consider. The Department would be pleased if you could discreetly ascertain the attitude of the Japanese Government. For your own information the following outline gives the Department’s present views:

1.
The question of limitation of land armaments is primarily of interest to Europe, as an entirely different situation exists in the American continents and in the Far East.
2.
To be successful, a program of disarmament should be limited to visible, tangible armaments and to peace strength.
3.
It is not possible to limit ultimate war strength of any country.
4.
It is preferable to disassociate naval conference from land disarmament and former should be restricted to the five principal naval powers. If these principal powers could agree, then extension to other powers of the principles accepted by the chief naval powers might be important.

Kellogg