500.A15A5/689: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 27—9:05 a.m.]
110. Supplementing my 109, February 26, midnight, Grandi suggested that we might keep the Naval Conference going a few weeks as there was a possibility that the Abyssinian question might be settled or reach a stage which would enable Italy to proceed with the consummation of a naval agreement. I told him such a delay on political grounds would be unacceptable to us.
Since it seems definite that the Italians will not now join in a naval agreement three possible alternatives remain.
1. An agreement to be signed by England, France and the United States. In this case it would be necessary to determine whether Germany shall be brought in as a party now or later and Germany be brought in through an Anglo-German treaty which would conform to the provisions of the multilateral treaty. Please give me as soon as possible your views as to this alternative.
The second alternative to be considered in case France should refuse to come along now would be for Great Britain and ourselves to initial a treaty to which all the naval powers would be invited to adhere before a given time as indicated in my number 105, February 25, 2 p.m. I should also like your views on this.
The third alternative would be to adopt as a last resort the suggestion contained in your number 47 [46] February 26 [25], 8 p.m. We shall be careful in any event to avoid having any agreement we might make mixed with European political questions. In fact the British themselves seem definitely opposed to tieing the naval agreement in any way to other questions.