550.S1/810: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham)
121. Please transmit the following communication to the Prime Minister:
“My Dear Mr. Prime Minister: I thank you for your message of May 18th. I entirely agree with you that the conference should not adjourn until it has reached definite conclusions; but I am convinced that as much can be accomplished by 2 months of intensive work as by 6 months of more leisurely activity. Moreover, I am certain that a summer holiday with the world in its present tragic condition would be regarded by the people of the United States as indefensible. I realize the difficulties involved in satisfying the amour propre of 60 nations. Might it not be possible, however, to limit all preliminary statements of the 60 nations to a 10-minute address supplemented by a written document? This Government would welcome such procedure or any other procedure which would enable the conference to get to work seriously within 48 hours of its first meeting. Frankly, it seems to me that unless the British Government and the Government of the United States resolve to push the conference to definite conclusions at the earliest possible date, it may drag on like the Disarmament Conference. Long drawn out deliberations would place us in a peculiarly unfortunate position. Your delegates and experts will be at home and will be able to carry on their regular duties relatively unhampered by their work in the conference, and the delegates and experts from the European countries will be able to go home from time to time. But we are so far away that the representatives we send to the conference must be detached entirely from domestic problems; and our domestic problems are so urgent that we can ill spare any of the men we shall send to London. It will be extremely difficult for us to keep a delegation in London for more than 2 months. I cannot promise to keep a delegation in London after September 15th at the latest. I fear that I should have to recall for urgent duties at home many of our representatives before that date.
I think I should let you know that in response to inquiries from the representatives of various Governments we have expressed the opinion that the conference should be able to reach definite conclusions in 2 months and that this view has seemed to meet with general approval. Do you not agree with me that if we let the conference drag through the summer we shall disappoint the hopes which we have aroused in the entire world? I trust you will not feel that I am unreasonably urgent in regard to this matter and that you will let me know as soon as possible your view of the duration of the conference.
My sincerest good wishes to you. Signed Franklin D. Roosevelt.”