Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1933, General, Volume I

500.A15A4 General Committee/414: Telegram

The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, May 27, 1933—3 p.m.
[Received May 27—11:25 a.m.]

668. Your 342, May 26, 7 p.m., clears satisfactorily our position with regard to article 34 of the British draft. However, we are now discussing air armaments and it is urgent that we receive guidance on the following questions.

(a) Reference our 577, March 18, 11 a.m.,³⁶ can we accept for life of the convention the provisions relating to civil aviation as set out in annex 2³⁷ of the British draft.

(b) Reference your 296, March 1, 1 p.m.³⁸ and 311, March 23, 6 p.m.³⁹ and your 326, May 2, 11 p.m., War and Navy Departments are opposed to unladen weight as a method of limitation. Private conversations show that British and French favor this method while the Italians are opposed to it. Probably this method can not be eliminated without a public debate with British and French. Do you desire me to offer such public opposition?

(c) Reference table in chapter III,⁴⁰ can we accept the figure of 500 therein contained?

Davis

36. Ante, p. 59.
37. League of Nations, Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments, Conference Documents, vol. ii, p. 487.
38. Not printed.
39. Ante, p. 122.
40. Conference Documents, vol. ii, p. 486.