Office of the Historian

500.A15a3/7: Telegram

The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]
London, June 11, 1929—1 p.m.
[Received June 11—10:10 a.m.]

154. The press reports and it is the general belief here that the American proposals to the British Government on disarmament will be presented by General Dawes.4

Furthermore, Mr. MacDonald5 has let it be known that he expects to go to Geneva for the League meeting in July at which there will be a discussion of the same subject.

In usually well-informed circles it was rumored during May that Mr. Baldwin6 had been assured unofficially that the Prime Minister would be welcome should he proceed to Washington to discuss naval disarmament with the President and Mr. Mackenzie King7 in September. [Page 117] That the same unofficial assurances from Washington have been extended to Mr. MacDonald and that upon his arrival in London General Dawes will convey to Mr. MacDonald an official invitation, is the rumor at present. The latter has said “If Mr. Hoover invites me to Washington, I shall go,” according to the London newspapers.

A duplicate of this telegram has been transmitted to Brussels for information of Embassy there.

Atherton
  1. Charles G. Dawes, appointed Ambassador to Great Britain, April 16, 1929.↩
  2. J. Ramsay MacDonald, leader of the Labor Party and British Prime Minister.↩
  3. Stanley Baldwin, leader of the Conservative Party and former British Prime Minister.↩
  4. Canadian Prime Minister.↩