500.A15A5/42: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham)
180. Personal for the Ambassador from Norman Davis. Your 219, May 2, 3 p.m. Your telegram indicates that there is considerable misconception in British circles as to the purposes for which we favor holding preliminary naval talks. The idea was originally suggested to Atherton by MacDonald and was welcomed by us as a distinctly advantageous step. Until the British and ourselves have smoothed out our own difficulties, the situation both with respect to the Far East and even with regard to Europe will remain obscure. There is no question in our mind of any coercion of Japan. We merely desire as [Page 235] a constructive step to clear away with the British our outstanding naval differences of opinion.
Do you not feel that the time is ripe for you or Atherton again to remind MacDonald of his original suggestions and point out the considerations involved? If however you become convinced that opinion is definitely crystallizing against further advance along the lines indicated, and if you find that the British would favor holding such naval conversations at Geneva under cover of the May 29 meeting of the General Commission36 without sending specific invitation or without formal announcement, the Secretary and I will gladly recommend to the President an acceptance of this procedure. [Davis.]
- General Commission of the Disarmament Conference.↩