500.A15A5/883 a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)40
75. The London Naval Treaty of 1936, as you are aware, made provision for a reduction from 16 inches to 14 inches in the future caliber of guns on battleships conditional upon acceptance of this provision of the treaty by April 1, 1937, by all the powers signatories to the Naval Treaty signed at Washington on February 6, 1922.41 The American Government has ratified the Naval Treaty of 1936, but because the condition of a general agreement to the 14-inch gun caliber limitation for battleships before April 1, 1937, was not effected, that limitation has not become effective.
This Government is now under the necessity of deciding the caliber of the guns to be mounted on the two new battleships for which appropriations have been made and the construction of which has begun. The Government has also to determine what shall be the caliber on additional battleships for the construction of which appropriation of the necessary funds may soon be asked of Congress by the President.
The Government of the United States, which is sincerely committed to the principle of reduction of armament has been and remains entirely willing to accept a gun caliber limitation of 14 inches, provided that the other principal naval powers will agree to adopt and to adhere to a like limitation.
The President must soon make a decision, and while he would deplore the necessity of having to increase the caliber of the guns to be mounted on our new capital ships to 16 inches, he may find that he [Page 301] shall have to take this action if the other principal naval powers are unwilling to maintain a limitation of 14 inches.
The adoption of the 14-inch gun caliber as a maximum, subject to the adoption of that limitation by the other principal naval powers, was one of the important points of agreement reached by the powers who negotiated the Naval Treaty of 1936; this fact gives rise to a sincere hope on the part of the American Government that there may at least be the possibility of achieving this one aspect of limitation, thereby removing an element of suspicion and uncertainty detrimental to the best interest of all the powers who are concerned.
For the foregoing reasons you are requested to approach the Japanese Government with a view to ascertaining whether that Government would be willing to maintain this one aspect of naval limitation.
You may also state that the Government of the United States is presenting this inquiry and proposal simultaneously to all the powers signatories to the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922; you should add that the Government of the United States would appreciate receiving a reply before June 21, 1937.
- Sent, mutatis mutandis, on the same date to the Ambassadors in Great Britain, France, and Italy.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1922, vol. i, p. 247.↩