500.A15A5/47: Telegram
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 18—9 a.m.]
264. Personal for the Secretary and Norman Davis. My 228, May 7, 11 a.m. Foreign Office informed me today that the British Cabinet Council had only just concluded its deliberations and that in view of the forthcoming Naval Conference which it was hoped might take place early in 1935, it had been decided to ask the American and Japanese Ambassadors in London officially to inquire whether their Governments would be disposed to name representatives to carry on with as little publicity as possible preliminary and exploratory conversations in London. The Foreign Office added that should the Japanese and American Governments accept this suggestion and [Page 236] agree to London for this purpose the Italian and French Governments would be informed of these proposed conversations for their strictly confidential information. The Foreign Office stated to me, and I understand to the Japanese Ambassador as well, that should Japan and the United States accept this invitation and have representatives in London at the same time the conversations would be bilateral rather than tripartite.
Unofficially the Foreign Office added that they hoped these conversations with the Americans might begin in early June which is the earliest moment the British would be ready and this would yet be a time presumably before the Japanese would have time to complete their London preparations. The Foreign Office understand Mr. Davis would attend the Geneva meeting the end of May and suggested that if it appeared this meeting might drag on, if he could not leave himself, Mr. Davis possibly might like to consider authorizing his technical assistants to initiate preliminary and exploratory bilateral conversation with the British in London pending his arrival.
Today’s conversation in no way changes the opinion expressed in my 259, May 17, 5 p.m.38