550.S1/702: Telegram
The Chargé in Great Britain ( Atherton ) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 1—1:05 p.m.]
92. From Davis. Your 84, April 30, 10 p.m. I think your suggested procedure a good one. I hope to know better in next day or so what the probabilities are for members of Organizing Committee to concur in the tariff truce resolution which we submitted. Simon has sent me word today that he has been put to bed by his doctor with instructions to remain there until Wednesday afternoon but that if there is anything urgent he will of course be glad to see me. This may cause some delay.
[Page 585]American newspapermen report this morning the existence of an intensive propaganda directed from official circles here against proposed truce unless it is preceded by a moratorium on war debts for the period of Economic Conference. This attitude is apparently motivated in part by concern lest trade agreements recently negotiated may be adversely affected.
With regard to suggested statement to be made by me in case adoption of the proposed resolution seems unlikely it is not Simon’s intention to call another meeting of the Committee unless he gets word that they are all ready to adopt it. If he should not call the meeting it would then be necessary for me either to request a special meeting in order to present proposed statement or to deal with matter in another way.
In such event it occurs to me that it might be better for me to write a letter to the Chairman, to be transmitted to the members of Committee and to be published, setting forth the views of the American Government and expressing the hope that the respective governments represented on the Organizing Committee may see fit to express themselves as being in accord with the views and suggestions of the American Government. In this way we could perhaps create sentiment and smoke them out more successfully.
It seems obvious from information received from reliable sources that every effort has been made and is being made to conclude commercial treaties not only before the convening of the Conference but even before the Prime Minister’s return here. Instances of this are the Danish agreement79 and the temporary agreement reached with Germany80 last week in which the British accepted a lower coal quota than they have held out for from the outset of the negotiations. The Argentine trade negotiations81 have been completed and the final draft which I am informed will appear early this week contains considerable concessions over those originally demanded here. It is even hoped that the Norwegian trade agreement82 may be initialed before Wednesday so that the Prime Minister on his return may find these trade agreements a fait accompli.
Simon clearly is opposed to committing himself on the truce resolution until he talks with MacDonald but I am hopeful that MacDonald will see wisdom of taking a strong affirmative attitude which would help to bring all others into line. I am inclined to believe [Page 586] France will agree to concur in resolution with some proviso as a protection in case dollar exchange depreciates as much as say 15% more. [Davis.]
- Signed at London, April 24, 1933, British and Foreign State Papers, vol. cxxxvi, pp. 327, 343.↩
- Exchange of notes, London, April 13 and May 3, 1933, ibid., pp. 382–386.↩
- For correspondence concerning Anglo-Argentine trade negotiations, see vol. iv, pp. 722 ff.↩
- Signed at London, May 15, 1933, British and Foreign State Papers, vol. cxxxvi, pp. 413, 431.↩