500.A15a3/168: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Dawes) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 13—3:35 p.m.]
268. Last night your telegrams of September 11, Nos. 242, 243 and 244, were delivered to the Prime Minister. Entire satisfaction was [Page 226] expressed by him after reading them but he said that they would have to be discussed with his Admiralty this morning and that he hoped this afternoon a formal reply might be sent me. I have not received this as yet but I understand that it will come this evening, whereupon it will be immediately forwarded to you. Yesterday the Prime Minister was most hopeful of the negotiations when extended to the other powers and seemed much pleased with the situation. Especially did he appreciate the mutual confidence and joint constructive purpose by which these negotiations have been characterized.
The Japanese Ambassador and I have conferred today and, as agreed upon by the Prime Minister, the sense of your telegrams of September 11 above referred to were communicated to him.
The Japanese Ambassador expressed the hope that the British and ourselves may proceed to those discussions in detail with Japan which will bring about the same sort of preliminary agreement with Japan prior to the Conference as that which Great Britain has already agreed to. In my judgment, I told him, this is exactly what is desired by the United States and Great Britain. The simplification of the points which Japan is desirous of discussing with us has been contributed to by the fact that we have kept the Japanese Government so well informed of all our negotiations in detail. I was told yesterday by the Prime Minister that he would see the Japanese Ambassador personally and explain thoroughly to him the Department’s attitude.
A helpful editorial appeared in the Times this morning in which the desire to cooperate was expressed. …