793.94 Conference/136: Telegram
The Chairman of the American Delegation (Davis) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 29—7:45 p.m.]
2. Gibson and I paid a courtesy call on Spaak today. He informed us that he had just received word that Germany declined to attend the Conference because it was too closely associated with the League but had left the door slightly ajar in case she later felt it advisable to reconsider. Russia on the other hand had complained that the invitation did not mention the League.
We then tentatively discussed procedure although we agreed that before any definite decision was made it would be advisable to await the arrival of the British delegation which is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
[Page 121]Spaak thought that the first day or two of the Conference would be devoted to speeches by the delegates.
He then said that he had been considering in view of Japan’s refusal how to phrase a further invitation as from the full Conference so as to induce and facilitate her acceptance. I suggested that he might consider in his opening address a reference to the fact that Belgium had purposely refrained from mentioning the League in the invitation because it did not consider that this was a League conference. Spaak replied that he was quite prepared to do this and thought it advisable but felt that we should confer on this point with the British. He thought that in not contesting the validity of the Nine Power Treaty Japan had given an opening by which the Conference might profit.