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The British Ambassador ( Howard ) to the Secretary of State

No. 229

His Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador presents his compliments to the Secretary of State, and with reference to the conversation this [Page 33] morning between Mr. Kellogg and Mr. Chilton of this Embassy, has the honour to state that he is in receipt of information from His Majesty’s Government to the effect that it is their understanding that the United States Government originally intended that conversations rather than a formal conference on the subject of naval disarmament should take place at Geneva between the representatives of the Powers who are now taking part in the Disarmament Preparatory Commission in that city, and that, in the event of these conversations proving fruitful of positive results, a formal conference would then take place between duly accredited representatives of the Powers concerned.

Now that any meeting has been postponed until June, however, His Majesty’s Government assume that the United States Government have abandoned the proposal to conduct preliminary conversations and that proceedings will from the outset take the form of a regular conference. In this event, His Majesty’s Government contemplate asking Mr. Bridgeman, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, and Admiral Field to act as their Plenipotentiaries at the conference.