The Japanese Ambassador called and handed me a statement, attached
hereto, which he said was a copy of the reply of his Government to the
British Government on the question of naval disarmament. I especially
thanked him for his courtesy in giving my Government the benefit of this
information, and requested him sincerely to thank the Foreign Minister
of his Government. I added that, of course, I would be glad and was
ready to reciprocate in every way at all times.
[Annex]
Oral Communication Made by the Japanese Chargé in
the United Kingdom to the British Government, October 18,
1935
The Japanese Government highly appreciate the efforts the British
Government are exerting toward the conclusion of an agreement on
naval disarmament.
It is the opinion of the Japanese Government that the true key to the
maintenance and promotion of world peace can be discovered only when
Powers mutually give full consideration to one another’s vital needs
and natural requirements, and when they carry out a thorough
limitation of armaments in such a way as to make a state of
non-menace and non-aggression prevail among them; and that great
Powers, therefore, should be the first to strive unremittingly in
these directions in order to forward the cause of peace. The
fundamental policy of the Japanese Government regarding naval
disarmament is as was set forth by the Japanese delegates at the
Preliminary Naval Conversations, and it has no other object than the
realization of such a thorough-going scheme of naval limitation.
In the light of this, the Japanese Government find it impossible to
accept a plan for mutual declaration of building programmes such as
was suggested by the British Government at the London Preliminary
Conversations, because even if the proposed period should be set at
six years, or reduced even further, the scheme, unless a common
limit is fixed to naval strength which no Power may exceed, would
result in a continuation in substance of the ratio system, and
cannot be considered as being effective in order to achieve the real
aim of disarmament.
The Japanese Government have stood for the total abolition of, or a
drastic limitation within, types of such high offensive power as
aircraft-carriers, capital ships, and A-class cruisers; they still
recognize
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the need of a
sweeping qualitative limitation of this nature. However, no
qualitative limitation will produce the desired result unless it is
undertaken simultaneously with quantitative limitation.
Moreover any qualitative limitation unaccompanied by quantitative
limitation would only prove to be a convenient means of preserving
the existing relationships in naval strength among Powers. The
Japanese Government cannot therefore agree to such a plan. They hope
that the Governments of the Powers concerned will take these points
into careful consideration.
The Japanese Government desire to declare that they sincerely hope
for further free and frank exchanges of views among Powers and a
swift conclusion of an equitable agreement that will secure the
foundation of world peace, and also that they are prepared to do
everything in their power toward the attainment of that end.
