500.A15A4 General Committee/808

The Department of State to the British Embassy

Memorandum 60

The American Government has given careful study to the British memorandum on disarmament dated January 29.61 In many ways the British suggestions are identical with the ideas expressed by the American Delegation since the opening of the General Disarmament Conference in 1932; in other respects they do not go so far in measures of actual disarmament as had been contemplated. The American Government [Page 23] has held the view that the most logical way in which to limit and reduce armaments was to limit and reduce the use to which such armaments could be put. This in turn implied a strengthening of the defensive power of a state and a corresponding reduction of its offensive power. To accomplish this, there were three main methods: the first, to abolish weapons of primary use in invasion, such as heavy mobile artillery, heavy tanks, bombardment aviation, et cetera; second, continuous and automatic inspection; third, and in connection with the General Disarmament Convention, there should be a universal pact of non-aggression in which an undertaking would be given that the armed forces of no state should invade the territory of another country in violation of treaty rights.

In noting that the British proposals do not go so far, the American Government appreciates that they were probably drafted with a view to meeting the complexities of the present political situation in Europe and at the same time to achieve a large modicum of real disarmament. While the American Government is not in any way a participant in the European political problems and, therefore, does not take part in diplomatic discussions relating thereto, it is nevertheless vitally interested in the maintenance of European peace and, therefore, welcomes the effort of the British Government to bring about agreement. This Government is in complete accord with the British Government in viewing a convention involving an actual reduction in armaments not only as essential in itself, but as facilitating a general political appeasement. While reserving its position on a few technical points, and of course on the modifications to Part I, which, as Mr. Davis indicated on May 24, 1933,62 it could not sign, the American Government is therefore in sympathy with the principles of the British suggestions, and hopes that a successful resumption of the general disarmament discussions may thereby be brought about.

  1. Copy handed to the French and Italian Ambassadors on February 20, 1934.
  2. For official attitude of the Italian (February 26), French (March 17) and German (April 16) Governments toward the British Memorandum, see Great Britain, Cmd. 4559, pp. 6, 11, and 18.
  3. See telegram No. 654, May 23, 1933, from the Chairman of the American delegation, Foreign Relations, 1933, vol. i, p. 166.