500.A15Franco–British/10: Telegram
The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 4—11:50 a.m.]
178. [Paraphrase.] Chamberlain came down with bronchial pneumonia early part this week. Crisis comes today but in any event he will be unable to return to the Foreign Office for several months. Lord Cushendun will shortly take over duties of Foreign Secretary until Chamberlain returns.
Today I talked with Sir Ronald Lindsay41 relative to your 180, August 2, 6 p.m., who stated that Franco–British agreement was a 50–50 compromise, that both sides had made concessions but that French had proved very difficult throughout negotiations and that eventually the British as quid pro quo had agreed to withdraw their objections in connection with French trained reservists. Sir Ronald appeared somewhat vague as to what these objections might be and stated that insofar as he was aware this particular clause which completed Franco-British agreement had not been communicated to the interested powers.
He also referred to attitude of the American press, whereupon I stated that American pressman who had visited me at the chancery [Page 273] had in some manner come to conclusion that the naval limitations only affected vessels in which the United States was interested. Sir Ronald replied that that was so. I asked him if there was any explanation. He replied in substance that he had no explanation except that as regarded Europe no further military disarmament seemed possible, especially with Russia in view, but that some form of disarmament must be accomplished here; hence the Anglo-French discussion. [End paraphrase.]
I thereupon referred to the points on which you desire information. The oral answer given me to your (1) is, “There is to be no limitation on any surface vessel armed with guns of 6-inch caliber or less.”
The oral answer given me to your (2) is, “Submarines of 600 tons or less may be built free of any limitation.”
The oral answer given me to your (3) is, “The provision you quote textually refers only to classes 3 and 4 [”], and he informed me there is no limitation on destroyers or cruisers armed with 6-inch guns or less and there is thus but one class of surface vessels limited and that is cruisers armed with guns of more than 6-inch and up to 8-inch guns except as obviously limited by the Washington treaties.
- British Permanent Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩