500.A15A5/499: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 1—12:50 p.m.]
486. With today’s discussion, reported in my 485, October 1, 5 p.m., no appointment has been made for further conversations pending fresh instructions.
[Page 123]With reference to paragraph 2 of the Department’s 277, September 30, 7 p.m. the statement of United States Government policy last autumn was not “reminded” to the British for purposes of discussion but to correct certain assumptions they advanced in connection with last autumn’s negotiations.
In the discussion regarding 14-inch guns, once we had stood for maintaining substantially present maximum battleship displacement, we only subsequently touched on the possibility of limiting the number of 14-inch guns. Until we had ascertained the general British attitude to such limitation we purposely left the number indefinite at the first figure that arose in the conversation, as reported “say, 12”. Had the British indicated their concurrence with the principle of limiting the number of guns it was our intention gradually to approach the figure named in the Department’s instructions without making it apparent that it was in any way a figure significant to us. It was believed, without British acceptance of this general proposition, proposal by us of a definite “limitation to a battery of nine 14-inch guns” might merely have indicated to the British a further point for trading.