500.A15A5/274: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis)
32. Your 48, November 21, 10 p.m. Our view with regard to the Conference in 1935 is about as follows:
While there are two treaty commitments to meet in conference in 1935 found respectively in the Treaty of Washington (provided Japan has previously denounced the Treaty) and in the Treaty of London, there are no treaty provisions covering the manner in which the conference shall be called. There is no obligation that we can see for us to convene the conference just because we were hosts in Washington in 1922 any more than there is an obligation for the British to convene the conference because they were hosts in London in 1930. Should any one of the signatory powers convene a conference, we would naturally be committed to attend. If any signatory power fails to convene a conference it cannot reproach any of the others for not carrying out the treaty undertaking.