500.A15A4 General Committee/324: Telegram
The American Delegate (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 3—9:10 p.m.]
627. We are rapidly approaching a debate in the General Commission on part II, section II, chapter I, land armaments of the British plan. Your telegram No. 311, March 23, 6 p.m.71 indicates that the Army is opposed in the provisions of article 19 fixing the maximum caliber of mobile land guns for the future at 105 millimeters.
I have just discussed this matter by telephone with Davis and as a result submit the following:
The President’s message to Davis and your recent instructions including your 326 lay down the broad principle that the British plan as a whole is acceptable as a first step; that our attitude should be to promote this plan vigorously and that our amendments should be confined to those of minor importance and which would not arouse serious opposition or weaken our general support of the plan.
The British tell us that they chose against serious opposition from their military advisers; it was chosen purely for political reasons as the most important point on which Germany could be given a measure of satisfaction in its claim for equality of treatment. It is a part of that careful balance of concession to Germany on the one hand and an unpalatable limitation on the other which was designed by the British with the hope of making the plan acceptable to both the Germans and French. While a refusal by America to accept this basis would not be of high military importance to the powers of Europe it would nevertheless be of high political importance. It would certainly constitute a major amendment and one which would tend to weaken the British plan. It was brought out clearly and repeatedly in today’s discussion that the acceptance of this principle of balance of sacrifice in the British plan was the point on which the success of the British plan depends.
In view of the foregoing considerations is it to be our policy (a) to accept article 19 or (b) to offer our amendment which would fix [Page 124] the maximum caliber for mobile land guns at 155 millimeters for new construction or replacement?
Please instruct on this point urgently—if possible before the end of the week.