500.A15a4/28: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Dawes) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 22—4 p.m.]
25. In regard to the matters covered in your informal note to the British Chargé at Washington, I have had a strictly confidential interview with the Prime Minister, following the instructions given in your telegram No. 11 of January 13, 5 p.m. Except as reported in my telegram No. 17 of January 14, 2 p.m.,98 I had not presented to him before either your letter or its substance.
That a successful result in the Disarmament Conference would be impossible without a thorough preparation by representatives of the European powers similar to that which took place previous to the meeting of the Naval Conference between the United States, Great Britain, and Japan, is agreed to emphatically by Mr. MacDonald. He stated also that no serious disposition to engage in such preparation has been shown so far. Some considerable disinclination to engage in discussions with France and Italy as to the resolving of their unsettled differences left over from the naval negotiations was at first expressed even in his own Foreign Office.
The Prime Minister has seen no indication that France desires to settle these naval differences with Italy, nor is he hopeful that the French attitude at the Disarmament Conference will be constructive. Germany, moreover, he feels will most likely use the Disarmament Conference simply as a means for making a declaration against the Versailles Treaty. He sees no indication at present of a desire on the part of Germany to have the Disarmament Conference succeed. The British Government, he feels, should have taken the same attitude toward the budgetary limitation of armaments as did the United States. He considers, incidentally, that the present British position is a legacy from the former Government and Cecil.99
The Prime Minister appreciates having been informed of the contents of your informal note to the British Ambassador at Washington, and when Henderson arrives from Geneva tomorrow he will discuss disarmament matters with him.
It is my opinion, although the suggestion may not be necessary, that this despatch should not be circulated among our diplomatic representatives in view of the extremely frank and confidential statements regarding the apparent attitudes of France and Germany. These [Page 488] statements should be considered as personal for the information of yourself and the Department, since they are expressions of the Prime Minister before discussion with the Foreign Office and consequently outside the usual diplomatic channels.