500.A15A5/647: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis)
33. Your 81, February 1, 7 p.m. and 83, February 3, 10 p.m. Upon the basis of the information and conditions contained in the above two telegrams, the Navy and State Departments agree that you may proceed with the discussion of a holiday for a period of 5 or 6 years in building Category A and 10,000-ton Category B cruisers with the reservation that there is no agreement, express or implied, either to abolish these types or continue the holiday period beyond 5 or 6 years.
[Page 58]On the basis of the information there is no objection to the reclassification of light surface vessels proposed by the British as reported in your 81, February 1, 7 p.m.
We are very anxious to receive even proposed tentative drafts of phraseology of provisions for a holiday as well as any other draft proposals as soon as they may be available.
When the foregoing was brought to the attention of the President he approved it. However he asked that your attention and that of Admiral Standley should be called to the fact that by this agreement we would revert in new cruiser construction to 6-inch gun cruisers of less than 8,000 tons displacement. He does not object if the Navy approves reverting to the smaller tonnage type of cruiser, but he points out that any large increase of such type by Great Britain or other powers would have to be matched by us and the total cost of a large number of such ships will be very high in the United States.