500.A15A5/286: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 27—4:05 p.m.]
53. During the week end I had a long talk with Matsudaira which culminated in an official visit he paid me yesterday in which he definitely informed me his instructions are to keep the conversations [Page 375] going and to prevent an actual break down. Matsudaira himself obviously hopes that we may yet reach agreement or at least the possible basis of some later agreement, for as he pointed out, since the treaties do not terminate for 2 years we can at least lay the foundation now on which a later agreement might be reached. Matsudaira insisted that while Japan demanded the legal right to naval parity his personal view was that they had neither the desire nor the ability to engage in a naval race or to attempt to build up to the American and British levels. I said that since the Japanese denunciation of the Washington Treaty would raise most difficult and serious questions I was inclined to believe it would be better to adjourn for a while and give time to think it all over. He replied “let us keep on for at least a while for I am still hopeful that we can find a mutually satisfactory solution, or the basis for it.”