500.A15A5/852: Telegram
The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 18—9:20 a.m.]
8. Department’s 9, January 16, 5 p.m. Clive made oral and written representations today as outlined in Department’s telegram. Arita8 replied that the Japanese Navy is opposed to accepting a qualitative without a quantitative limit but that he would investigate and would [Page 621] try to give a reply “in a week or a little more”. Clive pressed him for a more urgent reply. He has promised to inform me as soon as the reply is received.
Clive says that both the British and German Naval Attachés believe that the Japanese naval authorities are now considering the construction of battleships of 50,000 tons with 18-inch guns.
- K. Arita, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩