500.A15A4 General Committee/439: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis)48
349. Your 678, May 30, 11 a.m. [p.m.] We see certain dangers in the statement you suggest delivering if Sato makes his acceptance of abolition of bombing conditional on the abolition of aircraft carriers. It would seem unnecessary thus early to commit ourselves even inferentially as to the position we might assume at the 1935 conference with respect to airplane carriers and submarines, particularly as this might offer Japan the desired opportunity to start a debate on naval treaty revision at this conference. We suggest therefore that you stop with the sentence “Therefore we should not risk failure by making the abolition of bombing contingent on special considerations”. [Page 182] (You will note the omission of the words “or relatively minor” in this sentence as found in your draft.)
- This telegram bears the notation: “Approved by the President.”↩