500.A15/152
The Ambassador in Japan ( MacVeagh ) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 24.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department that it will be a great help to the Embassy if one or more copies might be sent of the list of subjects to be discussed at the preliminary conference on disarmament scheduled to be held at Geneva in April or May.
On the assumption that the Department would wish to be informed in general of the attitude of the Japanese Government towards the conference, the Embassy has, on one or two occasions, discreetly endeavored to ascertain this. Mr. Debuchi, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, in a talk with a member of the Embassy staff, made the observation, when the subject of the Geneva Conference was mentioned, that in his own opinion, while it had been; found possible to reach a ratio as to the Naval Armaments necessary for certain countries, [Page 45] it would be a practical impossibility to do the same thing in connection with land armaments.
However, in order to discuss the question more intelligently and, as already stated, to ascertain this Government’s view vis-à-vis the questions to be discussed, knowledge of the program of subjects to be dealt with at the conference is essential.
I have [etc.]