500.A15A5/636
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham) to the Secretary of
State
No. 1776
London, October 24, 1935.
[Received
November 6.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegram
No. 535, October 24, 4 p.m.16 and to forward herewith the text of the invitation
to a naval conference referred to therein.
Respectfully yours,
For the Ambassador:
Ray
Atherton
Counselor of
Embassy[Enclosure]
The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Hoare) to the American
Ambassador (Bingham)
A 8984/22/45
[London,] 24 October, 1935.
Your Excellency: His Majesty’s Government
in the United Kingdom have been giving careful consideration to the
results of the preliminary bilateral conversations which have been
proceeding between representatives of the signatory Powers of the
Washington and London Naval Treaties17 to prepare the way for a Naval Conference.
In view of the express provisions of Article XXIII of the Washington
Naval Treaty and of the corresponding article in the London Naval
Treaty, the effect of which is, in the circumstances which have
occurred, that the signatory Powers must meet in conference during
the present year, and in view of the fact that this country has so
far taken the initiative in arranging for these bilateral
discussions, His Majesty’s Government are prepared to summon a
Conference to meet
[Page 279]
in
London on the 2nd December next.18 The purpose of this Conference would be to
secure agreement on as many aspects as possible of naval limitation
with a view to the conclusion of an international treaty which would
take the place of the two Naval Treaties expiring at the end of
1936. It is hoped that, once agreement is in sight between the
representatives of the signatory Powers, an extension of the scope
of the Conference may be possible so as to include representatives
of the other naval Powers.
- 2.
- I should be grateful if Your Excellency would be so good as to
inform me as soon as possible whether the United States
Government are prepared to be represented at the proposed
Conference.
- 3.
- I have the honour at the same time to suggest that it may
prove convenient to all concerned and may serve to keep the size
of each Delegation as small as possible if Your Excellency’s
Government and the Governments of France, Italy and Japan were
to be represented by their Ambassadors in London. It would
furthermore be very desirable that there should be present at
the Conference from the outset naval representatives or advisers
of sufficient rank to speak authoritatively on behalf of their
respective Governments.
I have [etc.]
(For the Secretary of State)
R.
L. Craigie
