500.A15a3/177: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Dawes)
Washington, September 18, 1929—7
p.m.
253. The following is the text mentioned in my No. 252 of our suggested revised draft of Mr. MacDonald’s invitation to the Powers to the naval conference:
[The first three paragraphs are omitted since they are identical with the first three paragraphs of the final text, printed on page 263.]
- (d)
- It has been agreed that the principle of parity in each of the several categories shall govern the size of the two fleets and that such parity shall be reached by December 31, 1936.
- [The next paragraph is identical with the fifth paragraph, or principle three, of the final text.]
- (f)
- Since both governments adhere to the attitude that they have publicly adopted in regard to the desirability of securing the total abolition of the submarine this matter hardly gave rise to discussion during the recent conversations. They recognize however that no final settlement of this subject can be reached except in conference [Page 246] with the other naval powers. In view of the scope of these discussions, the Government of the United States and His Majesty’s Government consider it most desirable that a conference should be summoned to consider the categories not covered by the Washington Treaty and to study the questions which, under the terms of the Washington Treaty, would otherwise be discussed in the year 1931. It is our earnest hope that the (blank) Government will agree to the desirability of such a conference. His Majesty’s Government and the Government of the United States are in accord that such a conference should be held in London at the beginning of the third week of January, 1930, and it is hoped that the (blank) Government will be willing to appoint representatives to attend it.
- (g)
- A similar invitation is being addressed to the Governments of (blank) and the United States. I should be grateful if Your Excellency would cause the above invitation to be addressed to (blank) Government.
- [The next paragraph is identical with the eighth paragraph of the final text.]
- (i)
- It is hoped that at this conference the five principal naval powers may be successful in reaching agreement as between themselves on all outstanding problems of naval disarmament and that by this means a text can be elaborated which will facilitate the task of the League of Nations Preparatory Commission and of the subsequent general disarmament conference. I should like to emphasize that His Majesty’s Government have discovered no inclination in any quarter to set up new machinery for dealing with the naval disarmament question; on the contrary there is a very general desire to look upon these negotiations as an effort on the part of the five naval powers to carry out the invitation given to them by the President of the Preparatory Commission at the Conference in Geneva last Spring to try to come to a naval agreement amongst themselves. Such agreement as the five Powers may reach in the conference now proposed may then be used by the Preparatory Commission of the League of Nations as a foundation to facilitate its further endeavor.
Stimson