500.A15A4/1491½
The British Chargé (Osborne) to the Secretary of State
My Dear Mr. Secretary: In order to clarify and supplement what I told you this afternoon, the following is the substance of the telegram which I found on my return to the Embassy.
The French, German and Italian Governments are being informed this evening that His Majesty’s Government have carefully considered the situation arising from the German withdrawal from the Disarmament discussions at Geneva. A continuance of the situation clearly involves most serious consequences to the future of the Disarmament Conference and the prospects of European concord, and a heavy responsibility would rest on any who are not prepared to do their utmost to find a remedy. His Majesty’s Government therefore invite the attention of the above-mentioned Governments to the applicability to this withdrawal of the Declaration of Mutual Consultation of July 13th last,71 to which the French, German, Italian and British Governments are parties and which expressed the resolve to exchange views regarding questions affecting the European régime and, in particular, pledged the Parties to seek beneficial and equitable solutions in regard to the Disarmament question. In the spirit of this Declaration His Majesty’s Government propose a meeting of the Prime Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Great Britain at an early date—October 11th is suggested—for an exchange of views in order to overcome the difficulty which has arisen from this situation.
[Page 453]Each of the Governments is being informed that a similar invitation is being addressed to the other two and also that Sir John Simon is informing you that he assumes that you will authorise Mr. Norman Davis to attend the meeting.
As I told you this afternoon, Sir John prefaces the above message to you by pointing out that the exchange of views contemplated is really a resumption of the informal discussions in which you took part at Geneva. The German withdrawal creates a difficulty in the smooth working of the Disarmament Conference, in which the United States is taking part and to which it is making so valuable a contribution. The present request to the United States does not, therefore, involve any new action on her part, but is merely continuing, in what seems to be the most useful manner, the association of the United States with the Disarmament Conference. I am to add that such information as had been received by Sir John from Berlin and Rome seemed to indicate that the suggestion of the meeting would be acceptable to the two Governments and, further, that he hoped to have an interview with Monsieur Herriot to-morrow.
Meanwhile, I am telegraphing to Sir John Simon the substance of what you said to me this afternoon.
Believe me [etc.]