Office of the Historian

500.A15A4/1508: Telegram

The Ambassador in Great Britain (Mellon) to the Secretary of State

London, October 10, 1932—5 p.m.
[Received October 10—3:15 p.m.]

288. From Norman Davis.

“Spent the week-end with Simon and had long discussions regarding disarmament and Manchurian situation. Latter subject I am covering in separate cable.79 As this is a particularly strenuous week for the British Government, Simon has asked that we have a preliminary and general naval talk with the First Lord of the Admiralty.80 The best impression is that they are hoping that we may be able to have some influence over the Admiralty and make it easier for the British Government to carry through the plan for reduction. It was also clearly shown that Simon is most anxious for us to pull together in dealing with the Manchurian situation and also to have us in on the conversations regarding Franco-German disarmament problems. Project of a meeting has now been revived and it will probably take place within a week or two. They are asking Herriot to come to London tomorrow and they may then decide the time and place for the conversations. Simon says the Germans accepted unconditionally presumably because they thought the French would refuse. Simon thinks it most important to have us participate and use our good offices. He asked what would be the best way to approach us as to participating in the conversations. He also wanted to know what I thought of Lausanne as the place of meeting. I told him I had refrained from taking the matter up definitely with you because it had never crystallized, that we would certainly be unwilling to bring any pressure to bear on either France or Germany, that it was my [Page 462] impression that if both of those countries wanted us and the conversations were carried on in connection with the Disarmament Conference with a view of getting Germany back into the Conference you might be willing to consider the matter favorably, and that Geneva would seem the most natural place. I told him my present opinion was that it would not be wise to select Lausanne particularly if they want us to attend as its name now is so closely associated with reparations and debts”.

Mellon
  1. Telegram No. 289, October 10, 6 p.m., vol. iv, p. 296.↩
  2. Sir Bolton Meredith Eyres-Monsell.↩