500.A15A4 General Committee/274: Telegram
The Chargé in France ( Marriner ) to the Secretary of State 22
[Received April 5—6 p.m.]
135. From Norman Davis. Your 315, April 3, 6 p.m. to Wilson. Circulation of the British plan23 will bring up shortly, possibly by May 1st, question of abolition of heavy mobile artillery which has been the subject of many public declarations on our part and which we have consistently advocated as part of a comprehensive plan.
Heretofore we have talked in general terms; now we must get down to specific details and consider specially what we can do, the conditions under which we can do it and the cost involved. In addition, we must consider the treaty as a whole and weigh the advantages to be gained by the total amount of disarmament for which it provides against these costs. Wilson’s 59823a was, I understand, drafted with these considerations in mind.
It must be borne in mind that whatever reductions are made will be by stages and that in similar fields we can probably accept anything that is acceptable to the French Government but in fields in which the French have no interest we may have difficulties.
[Page 85]I am mindful of my talk with the Chief of Staff and his memorandum of March 2124 and the questions raised in Wilson’s 598 seem to be natural consequences of his views.
In view of the importance of questions raised in Wilson’s 5981 think it would be wise to cause as complete a study as possible to be made prior to May 1st. We should have all pertinent facts before us in order to permit us to determine our position at the proper time. [Davis.]