500.A15/933
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
His Majesty’s Government are confident that as between Great Britain and the United States a settlement can be found of the difficulty which has hitherto tended in the discussions on naval disarmament to keep the two countries apart, namely, that of evolving a standard of parity in naval strength under which the special needs of each would be reconciled with the principle accepted by both.
This feeling of confidence springs not only from the public declaration made by Mr. Hugh Gibson, the United States representative at the present session of the Preparatory Commission for Disarmament at Geneva—a declaration which, as the United States Government are aware, His Majesty’s Government have warmly welcomed—but also from the impressions which they have gained from private and unofficial indications of the mind and purpose of the President of the United States.
How far the United States Government intend to carry the discussion on which the Preparatory Commission are now engaged is not known to His Majesty’s Government, but they feel strongly that time and opportunity for a private and confidential exchange of views should be afforded before new proposals are publicly presented in any detail. Indeed they would view the possible consequences of a premature presentation of such proposals with great anxiety. Once a broad line of agreement for the naval forces of the United States and Great Britain had been determined, His Majesty’s Government feel that there would, despite the obviously greater difficulty of laying down rules capable of application to all navies equally, be more hope of reaching agreement with other great naval powers.
The impressions which they have gained from private and unofficial intercourse between the United States and British delegations at Geneva have left some doubt in the mind of His Majesty’s Government as to the next step in procedure contemplated by the United States Government. They are not clear whether it is the desire of the United States Government that the British naval authorities should work out their own calculations independently, or whether the United States Government propose to communicate to them confidentially, for consideration, the calculations which they understand [Page 100] the United States naval authorities have made in regard to the value to be attached to the various factors mentioned in the American proposal.
His Majesty’s Government are anxious to learn which of these courses the United States Government have in mind and they would observe that in their opinion the latter would be both more practical and more speedy.
Whichever course the United States Government wish to adopt, His Majesty’s Government consider that it would be undesirable for any figures to be published until the two Governments have had full opportunity for confidential discussion. It is their earnest hope that the United States Government will share this view.
In that event they would suggest that such discussion which, they feel, could best be carried on through diplomatic channels, might usefully be initiated as soon as the General Election has taken place at the end of the present month.