500.A15A4 Agenda/8: Telegram

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

39. For War Department from Simonds.

“German proposals re matériel land armaments provide for prohibition of maintenance and utilization of following categories of arms:

(a)
Outside fortresses and field works: guns of more than 77 millimeters and howitzers of more than 105 millimeters.
(b)
In fortresses and field works: guns of more than 150 millimeters and howitzers of more than 210 millimeters.

Proposals for materiél naval forces provide for limitation of guns to 280 millimeters. Unless otherwise instructed I shall state that [Page 45] policy of War Department is opposed to any limitation on calibre of guns in our coast defenses which cannot possibly be used for purposes other than defense of our important harbors, and as a last-alternative that the maximum calibres of coast defense guns should equal calibre of naval armament that might be used against them. In regard to limitation of calibre of mobile artillery has War Department any objection to accepting a limitation on calibre which would be generally accepted by all other great powers for their field forces?”

Gibson