500.A15A4 General Committee/935: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 31—10:25 a.m.]
857. 1. In view of the turn of events as a result of Barthou’s speech yesterday I doubt the wisdom of a showdown with Simon just now with regard to the question raised in the last paragraph of your 201, May 24, 2 p.m. to Paris.76 The rift between the British and French was clearly evident already in a conversation which Simon had with Barthou on Monday morning and is due to far deeper causes than the mere irritation which Barthou felt at Simon’s speech of yesterday. The French are at the present time essentially continental minded and are having a honeymoon with Russia and flirting with Turkey. As a distinct result of this orientation on the part of France Great Britain is becoming more world-minded than continental and will [Page 87] therefore presumably endeavor to explain to public opinion at home that the rift with France is more than compensated by a closer approach to the point of view of the United States and the possibility of closer cooperation with us. In fact they are already trying to give to the press the impression that they are working very closely with the United States.
2. I think it advisable therefore for me to be very impartial now and not jeopardize my position as a possible conciliator between England and France because after they cool off there is a possibility that they will both realize that Germany is a common problem with which they have got to deal.
3. Unless you instruct me to the contrary I will defer for the present having the proposed conversation with Simon. I somehow have a feeling that in spite of certain indications to the contrary the British will be most eager to cooperate with us on the Navy and less inclined and less able to play us off with the Japanese and vice versa.77 Admiral Bellairs who is here and in whom I have confidence intimated very strongly to me in a casual conversation that while there is a minority in the British admiralty including Admiral Keys, retired, who favor concessions to Japan the majority of the admiralty favor the closest cooperation with the United States.