500.A15a3/426
The British Chargé (Campbell) to the
Secretary of State
Washington, November 23, 1929.
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I am very much obliged
to you for your letter of November 21st giving your views on the aide-mémoire which I sent you in my letter of
November 18th.
I have informed my Government of what you say.
I have now received instructions to state that His Majesty’s Government
in the United Kingdom entirely share your views regarding the
advisability of each of our two Governments keeping the other fully and
urgently informed of their conversations with the other three interested
Powers, and I am to communicate to you summaries which have been
telegraphed to me of conversations that took place between the Prime
Minister and the French and Italian Ambassadors on November 11th and
12th.
I annex an aide-mémoire containing these
summaries.
Believe me [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The British Embassy
to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The French Ambassador expressed M. Briand’s hope that belligerent
rights would not be raised at the conference and he was assured by
the Prime Minister that so far as His Majesty’s Government in the
United Kingdom were concerned, the subject would not be raised, and
further, that during the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington he had
invited Mr. Hoover’s attention to obligations assumed by Great
Britain under Article 16 of the League Covenant which His Majesty’s
Government could in no way violate. The French Ambassador, who
afterwards left for Paris to consult his Government, was also
informed that it was the intention of His Majesty’s Government to
raise at the conference the question of the size and age of capital
ships as well as the calibre of their main armament. The
[Page 287]
Prime Minister also
remarked that a destroyer agreement would have to depend mainly upon
an agreement regarding submarines.
In speaking to the Italian Ambassador the Prime Minister explained
that both President Hoover and himself had felt that personal and
informal communications had been so helpful in removing
misunderstanding that they had agreed to suggest to other
participating Governments that they might pursue the same method.
The Italian Ambassador replied that conversations which his
Government had initiated with the French Government had been
temporarily suspended owing to the French Ministerial crisis, but
were about to be resumed. Italy, who was not much interested in
submarines, if an agreement could be arrived at, would certainly
seek naval parity with France.
The Italian Ambassador left for Italy November 15th to consult his
Government.
Washington, November 23,
1929.
