Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, General, the British Commonwealth, Volume I

500.A15A4/2605: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation (Dams)

Washington, November 14, 1934—7 p.m.

21. Your 33, November 14, noon. We incline to the belief that if the Litvinoff proposal for a permanent peace conference is raised at the Bureau, and if a discussion cannot be avoided, it would be better for our delegation to follow the line of comment contained in Davis’ personal letter to me of October 9.⁹⁶ This approach which follows a middle course between the rather anodyne reasons set forth in your 33 and the reasons adduced by Wilson in his conversation of October 4 with Aubert,⁹⁷ has the merit of avoiding controversial issues while at the same [time] reassuring the public here that this Government remains determined not to become involved in European political questions. Please report to Amdelgat Geneva adding pertinent quotations from Davis’s letter above referred to.

Hull

96. Not found in Department files.
97. See telegram No. 936, October 4, 10 p.m., from the American delegate, p. 152.