767.68119/269: Telegram
The Special Mission at Lausanne to the Secretary of State
[Received December 9—1:11 a.m.]
73. The heads of the British, French, and Turkish delegations have in private expressed their gratitude for Child’s statement concerning the principle upon which the United States based its view of the problem of the Straits. In open conference this afternoon the Japanese stated that they adhered to it. At the end of today’s session it appears that the Soviet influence for closing the Black Sea to all war vessels and fortifying the Straits has been almost lost upon the Turks. The spirit of the latter seems conciliatory. The general principles, which have been accepted tentatively, are to be worked out with the Turkish experts. The drift is now all toward strict limitation of both military and naval armaments in the Black Sea, water passages, the Sea of Marmora, and the islands in the vicinity of the Straits. In our opinion the stability of peace in the Near East will be greatly aided by this arrangement. It does not appear probable just now that we will be asked to enter into any entanglements at all on this subject. In order to secure ratifications and the future of naval limitation program we consider it very important that the Soviet delegates should be induced to enter into and sign a separate protocol on the Straits and to give pledges not to maintain large naval forces in the Black Sea. If not otherwise [Page 918] instructed, we will receive the Soviet delegates who may seek a conference with us and discreetly use our good offices, without making commitments.