500.A15A5/472: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Atherton) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27—7:40 a.m.]
406. The text of the Japanese aide-mémoire referred to in my 402 of August 26, 5 [4] p.m., follows:62
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The nature of this reply, together with the failure of the French to name a definite date for bilateral conversations in London, necessitating further delay of Anglo-Italian exchanges, adds further evidence of unreality to British plans of holding another than pro forma naval conference.
In this general connection the Department’s suggestion that the Naval Attaché of this Embassy and an official of the Admiralty meet for informal exchanges of views without publicity “on our respective positions in an attempt to clear up divergences in respect to future building, quantitative limitation and disposal of over-age tonnage”, seems to me far preferable to Craigie’s idea, reported in my 386 of August 21, 1 p.m., that a representative of this Embassy and a member of the Foreign Office also take part in these discussions. I am fearful, if the proposed exchanges are amplified in personnel, that the British may wish to give some publicity to the fact that such exchanges are taking place in an attempt thereby to press the French and Japanese into action over our shoulder. Furthermore, if the exchanges were limited to the naval representative there would be less likelihood of inadvertent publicity and it would leave the State Department and/or the Foreign Office free to deny at any time that there had been any formal conversations.
- Telegraphed text was withdrawn by the Japanese in order to make two verbal changes. For text of the aide-mémoire transmitted by the Chargé as an enclosure to his despatch No. 1663, September 3, 1935, see infra.↩