Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1936, General, British Commonwealth, Volume I

500.A15A3/1802: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew)

Washington, August 14, 1936—6 p.m.

105. By note dated July 15, 1936,⁹ the British Government informed this Government that, in order to prevent a disequilibrium between destroyer and submarine tonnage, it had decided to retain, under Article 21 of the London Naval Treaty, 1930, an additional 40,000 tons of overage destroyer tonnage over and above that specified in Article 16, Clause 1, as not to be exceeded on December 31, 1936. In order to keep the legal position clear, you are requested to transmit to the Japanese Government the following Memorandum:

(1) The Government of the United States of America was informed by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom by note, dated July 15, 1936, that His Majesty’s Government had found itself obliged, in order to prevent a serious disequilibrium between destroyer and submarine tonnage, to retain under Article 21 of the London Naval Treaty, 1930, an additional 40,000 tons of overage destroyer tonnage over and above that specified in Article 16, Clause 1 as not to be exceeded on December 31, 1936.

(2) In view of this decision of His Majesty’s Government, this Government has found itself reluctantly obliged to exercise its right under Article 21 of the London Naval Treaty, 1930, to make a proportionate increase in the destroyer category by retaining 40,000 tons of overage destroyer tonnage over and above that specified in Article 16, Clause 1, as not to be exceeded on December 31, 1936.¹⁰

Phillips

9. Not printed; see telegram No. 348, supra.
10. A memorandum similar in substance was transmitted to the Embassy in the United Kingdom for communication to the British Government; Department’s telegram No. 306, August 14, 7 p.m., not printed.