500.A15a3/743: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Stimson) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received March 8—11:40 a.m.]
122. The following to be repeated to Tokyo.73 From Reed for the Ambassador.
With reference to your telegram (Department’s No. 184, March 7, 11 a.m.),73a we continued negotiations yesterday with Wakatsuki and today with Matsudaira. The matter of the application of 20,000 tons is now the narrow margin of difference. All possible concessions have been made by us. We have offered to allow the Japanese to retain 20,000 tons of cruisers over 20 years of age but without the right to replacement in order that we may give apparent compliance with the Japanese popular insistence on 70 percent. Spreading this 20,000 tons over various categories of modern ships is asked by the Japanese. This would be fought bitterly by our Navy people, as well as by the British Admiralty and Dominions, and I know that it [Page 54] will not be acceptable to our delegation. The actual effective strength of the Japanese will always be in excess of 70 percent during the life of the treaty on account of the proposed spread of our building program over the 6-year period of contemplated treaty. It is hoped that this point will be conceded by the Japanese, for agreement seems impossible without this concession.