500.A15 a 1/493: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Houghton) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 28—7:53 a.m.]
173. My 172, July 27, 1 p.m.80 Sir Austen Chamberlain made Government statement yesterday afternoon outlining British position at Geneva. His remarks included the following statement:
“In the opinion of His Majesty’s Government there need be no difficulty in arriving at a temporary arrangement about the immediate future of cruiser building. But the British Empire cannot be asked to give to any such temporary arrangement the appearance of an immutable principle which might be treated as a precedent. Any other course would inevitably be interpreted in the first article as involving the formal surrender by the British Empire of maritime equality? a consummation which His Majesty’s Government are well assured is no part of President’s policy.”
Repeated Geneva.
- Not printed.↩