500.A15/1120: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation ( Gibson )
7. Your telegram No. 26, November 18, 4 p.m. In view of your misgivings that the phraseology on this subject as modified from the London Naval Treaty would arouse undue comment, I think that it would be preferable to make the phraseology identical, that is to say, “shall promptly advise with each other through diplomatic channels as to the situation thus presented.”
Any comment that might be aroused from doing this could be answered by a statement to the effect that this was the principle embodied in the London Naval Treaty, which had received the consent of the United States Senate to ratification. On the other hand, if you think that any proposition of this character would arouse too much comment and too much speculation, I perceive no special reason why the United States should be the one to offer a redraft of the escape clause at all. Is there any reason why debate on the old draft should not be allowed to lead gradually to changes without any specific proposal which could be designated as the American proposal?