500.A15 a 1/503: Telegram
The Secretary of State to President Coolidge
Gibson has wired83 suggesting that Monday may be too early a date for us to decide on the language of his speech, especially as we may desire to consult with you, and as we waited ten days for the British it is entirely reasonable for us to ask for more time. Have wired him83 that we do not think there is sufficient time from now to Monday to properly consider the final speech of the delegation, so I have no doubt he will get additional time. With concurrence of the Secretary of the Navy we have sent following message to our Mission at Geneva:84
“I think the consequences of the break-up and final abandonment of this Conference are going to be disastrous, not only to the [Page 139] relations between Great Britain and the United States, but disastrous to all the world as an example that the two leading naval powers are unable to come to any agreement as to limitation, and will make any agreement in the future, even in 1931, perhaps impossible. The moral effect of such a failure, in my judgment, is out of all proportion to the material interests involved. I do not suggest that we can accept British proposition, but wish to suggest for your consideration and immediate suggestions whether it would not be better to abandon the plenary conference on Monday and take an adjournment of this conference for a few months to permit time for reflection. After a plenary conference and the position of both governments stated it will be all the more difficult if not impossible to effect any reconciliation between divergent points of view. I should wish time to consult President about this move, but while I am convinced that no treaty could be ratified on the British basis I view with great alarm a final break-up in this conference.”
This of course is simply asking for their views. We feel here that perhaps a reasonable adjournment would be better than a complete break-down but would like your opinion before proposing it definitely.