THREE-POWER CONFERENCE AT GENEVA FOR THE LIMITATION OF NAVAL ARMA

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1927 Apr. 28 From the Ambassador in Great Britain (tel.) (98) Chamberlain's statement that British Government prefers

Geneva and has so notified Japan, and that necessary steps

are being taken with regard to use of League facilities.
May 5 To the Ambassador in Great Britain (tel.)
(93) Instructions to advise Chamberlain of U. S. assumption that

British delegation will either include fully empowered Do-
minion representatives or will itself be empowered by Domin-

ion Governments.
May 6 From the Ambassador in Great Britain (tel.)
(105) Chamberlain's assurance that British delegation will include

fully empowered Dominion representatives. May 11 From the Chargé in Japan (tel.) (77) Foreign Minister's emphasis on strong desire of new Japanese

Government that naval limitation be effected at Geneva.

(Footnote: Information that the ministry of Baron Gi-ichi Tanaka replaced the ministry of Reijiro Wakatsuki in April

1927.)
May 17 From the Ambassador in Italy (tel.)
(66) Italian memorandum, in reply to invitation to be repre-

sented at Conference, reserving right to send naval experts
who may at any given time assume the character of observers
(text printed).

(Footnote: Information that the Department was advised
on June 4 that the Italian Government had appointed two
unofficial observers; information, also, that a French Mission

d'Information attended the plenary sessions.) May 23 To the British Ambassador

Confirmation of arrangement that Three-Power Conference at Geneva will open on June 20.

(Footnote: Identic note on the same date to the Japanese

Ambassador.) May 27

To President Coolidge

Recommendations as to membership of American delega

tion.
June 1 Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Western European

Affairs
Record of conference of State and Navy Department officials
with President Coolidge in regard to U. S. policy and proposals

to be laid before Geneva Conference.
June 2 To the Chairman of the American Delegation
(1) Notification to Mr. Hugh S. Gibson of his appointment as

chairman of the American delegation; information that Ad-
miral Hilary P. Jones will be a delegate and that Mr. Hugh
R. Wilson will be secretary general; list of State and Navy
Department assistants on the delegation; general instruc-
tions as to U. S. participation, with emphasis on fact that
Conference is most likely to be successful if its deliberations
are restricted to the immediate problem of extension of Wash-

ington treaty principles and ratios to auxiliary vessels. June 9 To the Minister in Switzerland (tel.)

Communication of names of British and Dominion delegates.

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1927 June 20

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June 20

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June 20

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June 21

(16)

48

June 22

(22)

From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Press release (text printed), giving an estimate of tonnage
to be scrapped if American proposal for basis of 300,000 tons
of cruisers and 250,000 tons of destroyers for the United
States and the British Empire, and 180,000 tons of cruisers
and 150,000 tons of destroyers for Japan were accepted; in-
formation that no scrapping of submarines would be required
on basis of 90,000 tons of submarines for the United States and
the British Empire and 54,000 tons for Japan.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

For the President: Message from secretary general of Con-
ference transmitting greetings from the delegates.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Résumé of first plenary session, at which the chairman of
the American delegation was named president of the Confer-
ence, organization procedure was decided upon, and the three
delegations gave opening statements.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Executive committee resolution (text printed) recommend-
ing the formation of a technical committee to exchange statis-
tics of present cruiser, destroyer, and submarine tonnage of
each of the powers, the tonnage now authorized and appro-
priated for, and other pertinent information.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Disappointment of American delegation at receptive atti-
tude of Japanese delegation toward British proposals for
modification of Washington treaty.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Japanese desire for upward revision of the ratio assigned to
Japan by the Washington treaty.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Request for instructions concerning whether it should be
suggested to British that U. S. delegation is prepared to
sustain adoption by Conference of a decision (draft printed),
reserving consideration of the British proposals to the 1931
Conference provided under the Washington treaty.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

British insistence upon discussion of capital ships at present
Conference and upon importance of placing limits upon maxi-
mum size of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Belief that Bridgeman desires à plenary meeting soon in
order that each power may state naval needs and justification
therefor, and that he will argue for preponderant British
strength; intention of American delegation to reiterate that
naval needs depend on strength of other powers and are purely
relative, and by emphasizing certain other factors to bring out
in bold relief Ů. S. willingness not only for real limitation but
for reduction as well.
To the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Approval of suggested action and draft decision set forth in
chairman's telegram No. 25, June 23.

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June 22

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50

June 23

(25)

4

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June 23

(26)

52

June 23

(27)

53

June 24

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1927
June 24 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(31) Reply of American and Japanese delegates, in response to

Bridgeman's inquiry as to suitable time for plenary session
debate on British suggestions concerning battleships and air-
craft carriers, to effect that since their instructions precluded
discussion of Washington treaty revision, they would have to

ask their Governments for pertinent instructions.
June 24 To the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(11) Authorization to take action outlined in chairman's telegram

No. 27, June 23, if British insist on elaborately defending their
demand for a high cruiser tonnage; assurance that United
States is sincere in regard to maintaining parity with Great
Britain, but on the other hand is unwilling to sign a treaty
increasing British cruiser strength by 75 percent and requiring

the United States to triple its cruiser strength.
June 25 To the Chargé in Great Britain (tel.)
(138) Forwarding of chairman's telegram No. 27, June 23, and

Department's telegram No. 11, June 24, with instructions to
advise Chamberlain informally of U. S. Government's surprise
concerning British attitude at Geneva, in view of repeated
assurances that Great Britain would accept parity with the

United States in all classes of naval vessels.
June 26 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(32) Optimistic view of American delegation that obstacles, such

as satisfying Japanese amour-propre while maintaining Wash-
ington treaty ratio and acceding to British desire for no limita-
tion on number of small cruisers, can be overcome; efforts to
dispose as soon as possible of British suggestions concerning

Washington treaty.
June 27 | From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(33) Information, for State and Navy Departments, that com-

parison of British and American capital ship tonnage on the
Washington standard-ton basis shows that excess British ton-

nage is even greater than was previously indicated.
June 27 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(35) Suggestion that British delegation might be aided in with-

drawal from untenable position regarding revision of Washing-
ton treaty, if the Secretary would discuss frankly with British
Embassy in Washington, U. S. interest in nonrevision of the
treaty, insistence upon parity with Great Britain, and desire for

curtailment of naval building program.
June 27 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(36) Expression of regret to Japanese delegate that his Govern-

ment has revised its instructions to permit acquiescence in

British proposals for discussion of capital ships. June 27 Prom the British Ambassador

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1927 June 28 To President Coolidge

Transmittal of British Ambassador's note of June 27, with

comments.
June 28 To the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(20) Information that it is impossible to carry out the suggestion

in chairman's telegram No. 35, June 27, because of absence of
British Embassy force from Washington, but that copies of
chairman's telegram No. 27, June 23, and the Department's
telegram No. 11, June 24, have been forwarded to the Ameri-

can Embassy in London with instructions. June 30 From President Coolidge

Approval of Secretary's position as set forth in letter of

June 28.
June 30 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(44) Press interview authorized by Bridgeman (text printed),

denying demand for naval supremacy and reiterating principle
of Ŭ. S.-British parity, but also expressing opinion that while
Great Britain's special needs require a higher number in certain
types of vessels, the United States has the right to build up to

an equal figure in any type of warship.
June 30 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
45) Summary of developments favorable to American position:

British action in preferring postponement of public sessions,
end of their insistence on public debate on U. S.-British naval
needs, realization that they cannot force Washington treaty
revision by rush tactics, and the reasonable spirit exhibited by

the technical committees.
July 2 From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(53) Information that if the British are disinclined to reduce their

excessive demands for 75 cruisers, of either 7,500 or 10,000 tons
each, American delegation intends to say that it believes the
British should publish their figures, together with their justi-
fication therefor, and state quite frankly that it was impossible
to come to an agreement, thus leaving the entire matter for

general agreement in 1931.
July 2 To the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(26) Instructions to advise British that no proposal which sets

total cruiser tonnage figure to be arrived at before 1936 at
more than 400,000 tons would make conclusion of an agreement
worth while; request for comment on Secretary's intention to
consult Canadian and Irish Legations as to any demands for
excessive tonnage increases; inquiry regarding possible discus-

sions with the Japanese Ambassador.
July 4 | From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
(58) Advice that British have already been informed of unaccep-

tability of their figures as real limitation, and opinion that
neither inquiries to Canadian and Irish Legations nor discus-

sion with Japanese Ambassador would be advantageous.
July 5 To the Chargé in Great Britain (tel.)
(147) Transmittal of chairman's telegram No. 53, July 2, with in-

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July 6

(27)

From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

American delegation's suggestion for eventually reconciling
British proposal based on numbers with American proposal
based on total tonnage (text printed).
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Information that Japanese refuse to accept cruiser tonnage
basis of 400,000 tons, that they intend to demand that British
revise their figures downward, and that the American delega-
tion has promised hearty cooperation in this demand.
To the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Conversation between the Secretary of State and the British
Ambassador, in which each explained the attitude of his re-
spective delegation with regard to the general problems of the
Conference and also to the specific question of British cruiser
tonnage demands.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Résumé of interview with British on cruiser question, which
ended without a solution having been reached.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)
adoption of a 450,000-ton basis for auxiliary surface craft for
the United States and Great Britain, with 300,000-ton basis for
Japan, and 70,000 tons of submarines for Japan.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Belief that, although the British refuse to accept tonnage
figures proposed by the Japanese, they may be induced to
reasonableness by knowledge that they stand alone in demand
for a large cruiser tonnage.
From the Ambassador in (.)

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(64)

the

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July 6

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July 7

(156)

637 Propinie na mates pressurement Baldini.cel? Chamberlain will

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July 7

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July 7

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probably be unproductive of results; willingness, however, to
impress on them six specific points showing the unfavorable
reaction on U. S.-British relations if the British persist in
present policy at Geneva.
To the Ambassador in Great Britain (tel.)

Desire that Ambassador discuss situation with British on
basis of his suggestions.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Japanese intention to submit their proposals formally to
executive committee and to express determination to abandon
Conference if agreement for lower tonnage figures is not
reached.
From the Chairman of the American Delegation (tel.)

Suggestion that, if break-up of Conference appears inevit-
able, a private conversation of the chief delegates be called at
which a general statement of U. S. position may be given and
plans may be made for a public statement of the case of each
power, in order that public may have information on which
to base study of the issues involved.

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