Office of the Historian

500.A15a3/665: Telegram

The Chairman of the American Delegation (Stimson) to the Acting Secretary of State

London, February 4, 1930—7 p.m.
[Received 9:23 p.m.27a]

35. [Paraphrase.] For the President. The American delegation, after prolonged consultation with Japanese and British delegations, unanimously favors submitting to Great Britain and Japan the following tentative suggestions which are to be considered not as a collection of separate offers but as a whole. While Admiral Jones approves the balance of the program, he still is convinced that 21 cruisers are essential. The entire plan is cordially endorsed by Admiral Pratt, and all seven American delegates are now united in believing that the 21 cruiser program could be insisted on only with great danger to the Conference’s success.

Your criticisms at the earliest possible moment will be appreciated. We have not submitted these written detailed suggestions either to the British or the Japanese, but we are encouraged by their statements in our conferences to believe that a plan along these general lines may be approved by them. The utmost secrecy should be maintained for the present as to the detailed proposal, of which the following will be the substance: [End paraphrase.]

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Cruisers

for united states

Total tons Type
180,000 18 10,000 tons carrying guns of 8-inch caliber
70,500 10 Existing Omahas
76,500 . . New cruisers carrying guns not exceeding 6-inch caliber
327,000 . . Total

(a) The United States shall have the option of the following:

150,000 15 10,000 ton cruisers carrying guns of 8-inch caliber
70,500 10 Existing Omahas
118,500 . . New cruisers carrying guns not exceeding 6-inch caliber
339,000 . . Total

for great britain

110,000 11 10,000 [ton] cruisers now completed carrying 8-inch guns
20,000 2 10,000 ton cruisers now building carrying 8-inch guns
16,800 2 8,400 ton cruisers now building carrying 8-inch guns
91,000 14 New cruisers mounting 6-inch guns
101,200 21 Existing cruisers mounting 6-inch guns
339,000 50 Total

(a) Great Britain may retain four cruisers of Hawkins class carrying 7.5-inch guns until replacement by 6-inch cruisers. To be replaced by 1934–5.

(b) Great Britain shall have the option of the following:

176,800 18 10,000 ton (or smaller) cruisers carrying guns of 8-inch caliber
75,000 . . New cruisers carrying guns of 6-inch caliber
75,200 . . Existing cruisers carrying guns of 6-inch caliber
327,000 . . Total

for japan

28,400 4 7,100 ton cruisers carrying 8-inch guns
40,000 4 10,000 ton cruisers now completed carrying 8-inch guns
40,000 4 10,000 ton cruisers now building carrying 8-inch guns
81,455 17 Cruisers carrying guns not exceeding 6-inch caliber
8,800 . . Existing or new cruisers carrying guns not exceeding 6 inches
198,655 . . Total

Replacements

1.
No cruiser may be replaced until it shall have reached a life of 20 years from date of completion, unless it shall have been lost through an accident.
2.
Tonnages are given in Washington standard tons.
3.
Old tonnage may be retained over the age limit if not replaced, but the same right of replacement is not lost by delay in scrapping after reaching the age limit.
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Destroyers

Total tonnage of destroyers and destroyer leaders shall be:

For United States, 200,000; for Great Britain 200,000; for Japan 120,000.

1.
Existing destroyers and leaders may be retained and vessels building may be completed up to the above total allowed tonnages.
2.
Existing vessels shall not be scrapped except to comply with the allowed tonnage until the vessel has reached an age limit of 16 years.
3.
Old tonnage may be retained over the age limit if not replaced, but the right of replacement is not lost by delay in scrapping after reaching the age limit.
4.
No new vessels shall be laid down prior to 31 December, 1936, except to replace vessels reaching the age limit or lost through accident.
5.
Maximum unit displacements shall be limited as may be agreed upon in conference. We suggest 1,850 tons for United States, Great Britain, and Japan, and 3,000 tons for France and Italy.

Submarines (If retained)

Total tonnage of submarines shall be:

For the United States 60,000.
For Great Britain 60,000.
For Japan 40,000.

1.
Existing submarines may be retained and vessels building may be completed up to the above total allowed tonnages.
2.
Existing vessels shall not be scrapped except to comply with the allowed tonnage until the vessel has reached an age limit of 13 years.
3.
No new vessels shall be laid down prior to 31st December, 1936, except to replace vessels reaching the age limit or lost through accident.
4.
Submarine tonnages are given in Geneva standard tons, surface condition.
5.
Maximum unit displacement shall be limited as may be agreed upon in conference.
6.
Old tonnage may be retained over the age limit if not replaced but the right of replacement is not lost by delay in scrapping after reaching the age limit.
7.
Submarines to be limited to the same rules of international law as surface craft, in operations against merchant ships.

Battleships

1. The replacement tables of the Washington Treaty28 are modified as follows to comply with these principles:

(a)
Immediate scrapping of old ships down to a total of 15–15–9.
(b)
No new ships to be laid down prior to 31 December, 1936 except as provided below in paragraph 4.
(c)
Each nation may retain two old battleships for training purposes or for use as targets provided these vessels shall be rendered incapable of further war-like service as prescribed in the Washington Treaty.

2. Tonnages are in Washington standard tons. Three thousand standard tons have been added to each of the Idaho, Mississippi and New Mexico to allow for future modernization.

3. Should any provision be made for replacements of battleships, each nation may retain old tonnage if not replaced, and the right of replacement of that tonnage is not lost by such postponement.

4. In order to realize now the parity of battleship tonnage which was ultimately contemplated by the Washington Treaty by balancing the Rodney and Nelson, the United States may lay down one 35,000 ton battleship in 1933, complete it in 1936, and on completion scrap the Wyoming. If the United States shall exercise this option, then a similar option as to replacing one capital ship shall be granted to Japan.

5. “Modernizing” existing ships includes increase in gun elevation.

6. The foregoing principles will result in a schedule substantially as follows:

for united states

Standard
Scrap Florida 21,900
Utah 22,000
Arkansas 26,100
Total 70,000
2. Total tons now on hand, 532,400.
Scrap in 1930–31, 70,000.
Remaining first of January 1936, 462,400.
Scrap Wyoming in 1936, 26,000, leaving 436,400.
One new ship 35,000. Total 471,400.

for great britain

Standard
Scrap Iron Duke 26,250
Marlborough 26,250
Emperor of India 26,250
Benbow 26,250
Tiger 28,900
Total 133,900
Total tons now on hand, 606,450.
Scrap [in] 1930–31, 133,900.
Remaining until 31st December 1936, 472,550.
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for japan

Standard
1. Scrap Kongo 26,330
2. Total tons now on hand, 292,400.
Scrap in 1930–31, 26,330.
Remaining until 31st December 1936, 266,070.

Aircraft Carriers

The minimum limitation of 10,000 tons shall be stricken from the definition of aircraft carriers in the Washington Treaty, so that all such vessels shall be charged against the permitted tonnage.

Exempt Class

(a)
That all naval surface combatant vessels of less than 500 tons standard displacement be exempt.
(b)
That all naval surface combatant vessels of 500 to 3,000 tons individual standard displacement should be exempt from limitation, provided they have none of the following characteristics:
(1)
Mount a gun greater than 5-inch caliber.
(2)
Mount more than two guns above 3-inch caliber.
(3)
Are designed or fitted to launch torpedoes.
(4)
Are designed for a speed greater than 16.5 knots.
(c)
That all naval vessels not specifically built as fighting ships nor taken in time of peace under Government control for fighting purposes, which are employed in fleet duties or as troop transports or in some other way other than as fighting ships, should be exempt from limitation provided they have none of the following characteristics:
(1)
Mount a gun greater than 6-inch caliber.
(2)
Mount more than four guns above 3-inch caliber.
(3)
Are designed or fitted to launch torpedoes.
(4)
Are designed for a speed greater than 16.5 knots.
(5)
Are armored.
(6)
Are designed or fitted to launch mines.
(7)
Are fitted to receive planes on board from the air.
(8)
Mount more than one aeroplane—launching apparatus on the center line; or two, one on each broadside.
(d)
Certain existing vessels of special type to be exempted by mutual agreement.
Stimson
  1. Telegram in five sections.↩
  2. Treaty signed at Washington, February 6, 1922, Foreign Relations, 1922, vol. i, p. 247.↩