500.A15 a 1/185: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chief of the American Delegation on the Preparatory Commission (Gibson)
121. Your No. 241, April 14, 9 p.m. Inasmuch as it was as a part of the Preparatory Commission that the President invited the five powers to confer in Geneva on the limitation of naval armaments, he feels that if the United States were to take initiative in holding Conference elsewhere this would place us in embarrassing position and provide France and Italy with opportunity to allege that we were attempting to disrupt Geneva Conference. Were the other two powers, Great Britain and Japan, to make clear their desire to have Conference [Page 37] meet at some other place, preferably in Belgium, I do not think that we should oppose it. If the League of Nations would be embarrassed by having these negotiations at Geneva or if the League is not prepared to provide the necessary facilities, for which, of course, we should be willing to pay, we should then have no objection to holding Conference at some other place. You may, if you think wise, approach Sir Eric Drummond on the subject.
I should like to have your opinion in regard to distribution of personnel on termination of the Preparatory Commission. Are you and Admiral Jones of opinion that he should return here for consultation?33 We think that, if there is time, both the General Board of the Navy and the Department would be glad to have opportunity to consult with Admiral Jones, but wish to leave decision in matter to him.
- Rear Admiral Hilary P. Jones, American naval expert on the Preparatory Commission. Telegram from Mr. Gibson, No. 250, Apr. 22, 1927, 5 p.m. (not printed), referring to distribution of personnel, stated that Admiral Jones would return to Washington for consultation (file No. 500.A15a 1/195).↩