500.A15a/1198: Telegram
The Minister in the Irish Free State (Sterling) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 27—11:40 a.m.]
25. Cosgrave informs me accommodation has been refused by De Valera’s party.35 He greatly regrets, therefore, treaty will not be ratified until the Dail meets next month.36
Repeated to London.
[The following is a statement issued by the Department of State on September 30, 1941, concerning the Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament, signed at London, April 22, 1930:
“Termination of Certain Parts of the Treaty
“With the exception of part IV which, under the first exception in article 23, ‘shall remain in force without limit of time’, and of the provisions of articles 3, 4, and 5, and of article 11 and annex II to part II so far as they relate to aircraft carriers, the Treaty for the Limitation and Reduction of Naval Armament, signed on the part of the United States of America, the British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan at London on April 22, 1930, and ratified by the United States, the British Empire, and Japan, ceased to be in force on December 31, 1936, in accordance with the provision of article 23 thereof, that the treaty should remain in force until that date.
“The provisions of articles 3, 4, and 5, and of article 11 and annex II to part II so far as they relate to aircraft carriers, terminated on December 31, 1936, under the second exception in article 23, that they should remain in force for the same period as the ‘Washington Treaty’ (Treaty for the Limitation of Naval Armament, between the United States of America, the British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan, signed at Washington on February 6, 1922), by reason of the termination of the ‘Washington Treaty’ pursuant to a notice given by Japan on December 29, 1934.
[Page 131]“Parties to Part IV
“The Governments of France and Italy, which did not ratify the treaty of 1930 in its entirety, ratified part IV, and their instruments of ratification of part IV were deposited with the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on November 6, 1936. Part IV of the treaty of 1930 therefore came into force without limit of time in respect of France and Italy as well as the United States of America, the British Empire, and Japan among whom it already was in force.
“In a procès-verbal signed at London November 6, 1936 by states signatories of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was requested to communicate to non-signatories of that treaty the rules regarding the action of submarines with respect to merchant-ships, inviting them to accede thereto definitely and without limit of time as provided in article 22 of the treaty.
“As a result of invitations extended pursuant to this procès-verbal, the following states adhered to the rules of international law to which submarines must conform set forth in part IV of the London Naval Treaty of 1930: Afghanistan, which acceded thereto on May 25, 1937; Albania, on March 3, 1937; Belgium, on December 23, 1936; Brazil, on December 31, 1937; Bulgaria, on March 1, 1937; Costa Rica, on July 7, 1937; Czechoslovakia, on September 14, 1937; Denmark, on April 21, 1937; Egypt, on June 23, 1937; El Salvador, on November 24, 1937; Estonia, on June 26, 1937; Finland, on February 18, 1937; Germany, on November 23, 1936; Greece, on January 11, 1937; Guatemala, on September 8, 1938; Haiti, on January 23, 1937; Hungary, on December 8, 1937; Iran, on January 21, 1939; Iraq, on February 3, 1938, effective as from December 27, 1937; Latvia, on March 7, 1938; Lithuania, on January 27, 1938; Mexico, on January 3, 1938; Nepal, on January 27, 1937; Netherlands, on September 30, 1937, including Netherlands Indies, Surinam, and Curaçao; Norway, on May 21, 1937; Panama, on February 26, 1937; Peru, on June 3, 1937; Poland, on July 5, 1937, effective as from July 21, 1937; Saudi Arabia, on June 11, 1937; Sweden, on February 15, 1937; Switzerland, on May 22, 1937; Thailand, on January 12, 1938; Turkey, on July 7, 1937; the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on December 27, 1936; Vatican City State, on March 16, 1937; and Yugoslavia, on April 19, 1937.”]