500.A15A5/646: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
London, February
3, 1936—8 p.m.
[Received February 3—7:12 p.m.]
[Received February 3—7:12 p.m.]
82. Your 28.44a Admiral Standley met Chatfield today and learned the present British intentions in regard to scrapping are as follows:
- 1.
- To scrap all cruisers in excess of the 339,000 tons permitted by treaty by December 31, 1936.
- 2.
- To convert three of the Hawkins class
to cruisers mounting a gun less than 6 inches in calibre for use
as anti-aircraft ships and to demilitarize the other in
accordance with annex II, section V, art. (b), par. 2, of the London Treaty, for use as a
training ship. That is three of the Hawkins class would be retained as category B cruisers
in lieu of an equal tonnage of “D” class cruisers. By the above
means they would comply with the terms of the London Treaty both
as to the number and tonnage of category A cruisers and as to
the tonnage of category B cruisers. To sum up the British
completed cruiser tonnage on December 31, 1936, would be
approximately as follows:
- (1)
- Fifteen cruisers A of approximately 146,000 tons.
- (2)
- Thirty-two cruisers category B composed of the following vessels: three Hawkins 29,600 tons; sixteen “C” and “D” class 72,480 tons; two Emeralds 15,130 tons; eight Leanders 55,940 tons; and three Arethusas 15,640 tons.
The British intend to invoke the escalator clause in order to retain 40,000 tons of destroyers which would otherwise have to be scrapped. They plan to maintain 150,000 tons of underage and 40,000 tons of overage destroyers in the future.
Davis