500.A15a3/1380: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:15 p.m.]
93. The following statement has been issued to the press by the Foreign Office:
“Henderson and Alexander have informed the French Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Marine of the result of their conversations in Rome with Mussolini and Grandi. Henderson and Briand after their conversations at the Quai d’ Orsay this afternoon addressed the following telegram to Grandi:
‘We are happy to inform you that we entirely agree with the accord reached in Rome on the questions of naval limitations and naval disarmament pending since the Naval Treaty of London.
We are ready to submit and to recommend this accord to our Governments and to the other signatories to the Naval Treaty.
We wish to express our appreciation of the friendly disposition and the courtesy shown by the Italian Government in the course of the recent negotiations, particularly during the last discussions in Rome where it made loyal efforts to facilitate between us a reduction of our divergences.
We are confident that the accord reached between our three countries will contribute to the world peace. It is our sincere desire not to neglect any opportunity to utilize for world peace all the benefits which will result from such an atmosphere of friendship and confidence as will follow this happy event for which we congratulate you and we express to you and your country our most cordial sentiments and best wishes. Briand, Henderson’”.
Following the publication of the above statement the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Marine explained to the press that although they had the figures ready to give to the press tonight the British delegates had asked to have them held until the British Government had submitted the new accord to Washington and Toyko as well as to the British Dominions and that the figures would therefore not be released probably until Wednesday.