500.A15A4 General Committee/219: Telegram
The Acting Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 18—8:10 p.m.]
580. Unless there is postponement of general discussion of the British plan this will begin on Thursday March 23. The real interest of the Conference will be concentrated on the statements to be made by France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
Inasmuch as this project, however imperfect, is a tangible effort towards early realization we assume you will feel it should be launched with as fair a wind as possible; that the United States, which in broad lines can fit into such a plan, is in a position to take a generally friendly stand and so counteract the possibly critical attitude of other states. Interest in part II of the plan is primarily concerned with disarmament in Europe and it should be possible to find means of adapting ourselves or adapting the system of the treaty in such a manner that our requirements need not constitute an obstacle to the primary purpose of the Conference. The chief interest which the [Page 64] European states have in our attitude is what we are disposed to do in the political field (part I). In this connection we trust you will scrutinize article 88 with a view to determining where [whether?] the obligation it contains is not as far reaching as the measures prescribed in part I. You will remember that the text of article 88 was in fact introduced by us in the Preparatory Commission under instructions93 and was inspired by article 21 of the London Naval Treaty.
Our position in the discussion will be determined by the line you desire us to take in regard to this phase of the treaty and we trust therefore that you will give us your views on the subject as soon as possible.
- See Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, p. 189, last paragraph.↩