500.A15A4 General Committee/578: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 16—1:20 p.m.]
241. I discussed Department’s 212, August 2, noon, with Eden who has just returned from holiday and will be in London for the next 2 weeks. He stated situation remained as outlined to me in my telegram 224, July 27, 5 p.m.,5 which is apparently further confirmed by telegram from American Embassy, Paris, to the Department, No. 360, August 8, 1 p.m.5 Eden indicated today that the Anglo-French disarmament conversations set for September 18th were by invitation of the French and that much as he personally would welcome Norman Davis’ presence in Paris at that time he did not feel that he could invite Davis to be present at the conversations, but this suggestion should come from Boncour.6 Eden feels the initiative of the conversations having been taken by the French, together with the fact that the French Treasury would welcome any economic relief, there is a possibility that an opening may arise, upon any statement by the French of their point of view, for Eden to reply that no progress in disarmament can be looked for without considerable modifications of the proposed convention.
[Page 207]Eden particularly pointed out the Prime Minister’s and his own personal predilection for close cooperation with Davis in matters of disarmament and was anxious that Davis should understand their hope he would be in Paris if not on September 18th, the opening date for the Anglo-French conversations, at least shortly after these conversations had started.