500.A15 a 1/418: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Gibson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 13—1:55 a.m.]
84. Your No. 41, July 11, 6 p.m. The Wythe Williams article was founded on pure conjecture as we had no intention of referring to question of overtonnage of capital ships in plenary session or anywhere else. As far as I am aware we have no mass of documents on subject of capital ship tonnage, though the British themselves circulated a confidential document containing figures. Correspondents have discussed the figures referred to from time Conference began. I now learn that they were published last January in Gallic American by William Baldwin Shearer. I am able to say that the members of the American delegation have been most scrupulous in not revealing confidential information to press and in refusing to discuss committee proceedings or proposals of other delegations.
Only statements that either Admiral Jones or I have made which could bear in any way on this subject have been to effect that signatories of treaty of Washington have scrupulously observed its provisions.