500.A15A5/606: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 9—3:34 p.m.]
41. Referring to my 39, January 9, 7 p.m. After the official dinner tonight Eden and Monsell told me that the former had in the meeting this afternoon told the Japanese exactly what he had informed me this afternoon he would tell them. The Japanese seemed disconcerted. Eden had then told them that if they wished to have the common upper limit or quantitative limitation first discussed and disposed of, the British were quite agreeable to do so and that they would consult the other delegations on this point.
The Japanese then asked that the Conference be adjourned over the week end to give them time to consider and communicate with Tokio.
Eden told them that in case they would not agree to continue actively in the Conference after the common upper limit had been rejected, the British wished to know if the Japanese would like to continue as observers or otherwise while the other four powers negotiated a naval agreement in which case the Japanese might determine whether or not they desire to become parties to such a treaty. This seemed to disturb them even more.
Eden and Monsell then said they thought it important that the British and ourselves make substantially similar statements in rejecting the common upper limit at the next meeting and that we should endeavor to get the French and Italians to come along. Later we talked separately with the French and Italians who practically agreed that they would definitely join in rejecting the common upper limit.
The French asked whether if it should be rejected we would be willing to negotiate a four-power naval agreement to which Japan could later adhere. I told them that if the others wished to do so we were agreeable subject to agreement on the agenda. The Japanese told the French tonight that if the common upper limit is rejected they will withdraw from the Conference unless their instructions are altered in the meantime. Eden, Monsell and Chatfield13 expressed the opinion that the Japanese would not do so. Our information is that the Japanese delegation is divided on the question that their naval people are in favor of withdrawal on rejection of the common upper limit but that the diplomatic members of the delegation wish to continue in the Conference.
I might add that Monsell told me that if the four-power conference were able to arrive at an agreement it might be possible later to invite [Page 29] Germany and Russia to join in the deliberations. In this connection it may be interesting to note that the only other government representatives present at the dinner tonight besides those of the five naval powers were the German and Soviet Ambassadors.
- Sir Ernie Chatfield, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff; adviser to the British delegation.↩