767.68119/928: Telegram (part air)
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 28—6:42 a.m.]
254. Consulate’s 244, June 23, noon, Conference on Regime of the Straits. I learned from delegations here of participating powers that the following are the essentials of the positions of the governments, either expressed or unexpressed, up to the present stage of the Conference.
Commercial Questions:
Great Britain, Bulgaria and Rumania—The safeguarding of commercial shipping interests by some form of international control or regulations.
Remilitarization and transit of warships:
Russia—Free ingress and egress for Black Sea powers; opposes equality of rights in this for other powers. Black Sea closed to other powers except for courtesy visits of small units unless in implementation of League or regional pact decisions. Except as last stated no non-riparian belligerent power could enter Black Sea during war.
Bulgaria and Rumania—Opposed to provisions described in the last sentence of foregoing but generally favorable to mutual assistance arrangements.
France—Broadly speaking, policy not yet disclosed except its support of mutual assistance features of Russian position.
Italy—The Italian representative here made a “personal but official” visit to Montreaux and exposed his Government’s position as a general reservation on all questions concerning remilitarization and transit of warships. His somewhat cryptic thesis on remilitarization was that Turkey should be permitted to remilitarize but not to fortify the Straits. He also indicated opposition to any discrimination in warship transit favoring Black Sea powers.
Turkey—To prohibit the passage of warships through the Straits in sufficient strength at any one time to threaten Stamboul. With the foregoing exception riparian states to have unrestricted passage. Other states only for courtesy visits. Generally concentrating on right to fortify. Envisaging failure of ratification of general convention, desires to be accorded right to fortify immediately upon signature or under terms of special separate protocol, also to be accorded in the same manner the privilege of closing the Straits to non-riparian warships in case of a threat of war.
Japan—If riparian warships are permitted egress from the Black [Page 525] Sea non-riparian warships should have ingress on equal terms. Opposes any reference to League in the convention and declines to give any commitments to act in defense of the Straits.
Great Britain—In general support of Japan on first item of Japanese position. In general making reservations on all points without disclosing its hand.
The best informed general estimate here is that Great Britain is awaiting Italy’s entering the Conference when Great Britain, Japan and Italy will concert their tactics to achieve a bottling up of Russia in the Black Sea. In that feature, however, which presents itself as an Italian-Balkan issue, it is not known to what extent Great Britain may support Italy or maneuver for a middle position.