500.A15 a 1/417: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 13—6:42 a.m.]
83. Group mentioned my 82, July 12, 8 p.m., continued discussion today. Upon examination of Japanese tonnage in surface craft including tonnage under construction or projected it was found that this would total approximately 315,000 tons. On basis 5–5–3 ratio this would give 525,000 tons of cruisers and destroyers for the United States and the British Empire. British representatives indicated that they felt that this total tonnage of 525,000 for the United States and Great Britain and 315,000 for Japan held out some hope of offering a basis for negotiation and said that they would investigate whether there were any conditions under which they could accept it. This afternoon they produced the following draft:
“The British Empire to agree not to exceed 550,000 tons of auxiliary surface combatant craft under the following ages: cruisers 16 years, destroyers 12 years, subject to the following conditions:
- (a)
- The right to retain in addition 20 percent of this total tonnage in vessels over the age limit referred to above.
- (b)
- Limitation of 10,000-ton cruisers to 12–12–8.
- (c)
- York, Hawkins, Frobisher, Effingham, Vindictive, 4 Furuhatas and 10 Omahas not to be retained beyond the year 1945 or some other year to be agreed upon.
- (d)
- Subject to the right to complete up to the agreed number of 10,000-ton cruisers no auxiliary combatant surface vessels to be constructed of greater displacement than 6,000 tons (standard displacement) or to mount a gun exceeding 6 inches in caliber.”
The Japanese when they saw that British had raised the figures tentatively suggested in the morning said that proposals were unacceptable and immediately reverted to the discussion of 450,000 tons for the United States and Great Britain. Saburi added that Viscount Saito had said to him that of course if Great Britain and the United States wish to reach an agreement along the lines indicated Japan [Page 101] would be happy to see it but could not go to any such tonnage figures as proposed.
As you will appreciate, the suggestion quoted above is highly unacceptable to us in many particulars, particularly in fixing the limit of one class of cruisers at 6,000 tons. Further, the scheme of retaining vessels over the low age limits proposed by the Japanese while ingenious is really nothing more than a disguised attempt to increase total tonnage. However, a slight advance has been made in that the British even with unacceptable provisos proposed to consider tonnage figures considerably below what they have heretofore been discussing.
In all combined tonnage of surface craft we of course make it clear that it would be necessary to separate cruiser and destroyer class in any treaty.
Discussions described in my July 12, 8 p.m., and in this telegram were entirely informal and are not in any sense binding upon any of the delegations. The results of these meetings will however shortly be considered by the delegates to see whether they offer any possible way out of the difficulty.
Mailed to London.