C.445
M.233- 1935.IX.
Conf.J). 170
Geneva, October 30t h , 1935.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
COMMUNICATION FROM THF GOVERNMENT OF THF UNITED
KINGDOM IN REGARD TO THE SUMMONING OF A NAVAL COI^FBDENC~.
Note by the Secretary-fteneral.
The Secretary-General has the honour to circulate to
the Members of the League and to all States represented do the
lisarm&ment Conference. for the Reduction and LJ.l. ,t.-3 ::..on„ of
Armaments, for information, the following letter Cjcocl
October 24th, 1935* -rom the Government of the United, Kingdom.
24th
October, 1935.
I am directed by His Majesty’s Principal Secretary
gf State for Foreign Affairs to inform you that His Mr jesty’s
Government in the United Kingdom have been giving careful consi­
deration to the results of the preliminary bilateral naval con­
versations which have been proceeding between representatives
of the signatory Powers of the Washington ançl London Naval
Treaties to prepare the way fpr a Naval Conference.
In view of
the express provisions 0f Article XXIII of the Washington Naval
Treaty and of the corresponding article in the London Naval
Treaty, the effect of which is, in the circumstances which have
occurred, that the signatory Powers must meet in conference during
the present y e a r , and in view pf the fact that this country has
so far taken the initiative in arranging for these bilateral
discussions, His Majesty’s Government are prepared to summon a
Conference to meet in Ilondon ^n the 2nd December nex t. The
purpose of this Conference wculd be to secure agreement on as
many aspects as possible of naval limitation with a view to the
conclusion of an international treaty which would take the place
of the two Naval Treaties expiring at the end of 1936.
It is
hoped t h a t , once agreement is in sight between the representatives
of the signatory P o w e r s , an extension of the scope >f the
Conference may be possible so as to include representatives of
the other naval Powe r s.
2.
Official invitations have to-day been addressed
by His M a j e s t y ’s Government in the United Kingdom to the
representatives of the United States, Japanese, French and
Italian Governments in London, expressing the hope that His
Majesty’s Government may be informed as soon as possible as to
whether their respective Governments would be prepared to bo
represented at the proposed Conference.
It has been suggeste5
these invitations that it may prove convenient to all concerned
&Gd may serve to keep the size of eaeh delegation as small es
Possible, if the interested Governments were to be represented
by their Ambassadors in London.
(Signed) Samuel HOARE.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
C.445(1).M.233(1).1935.IX.
Conf.D.170(1).
Communicated to the
Coujioi 1 and the
Members of the League.
Geneva, December 4 t h , 1935.
LOUDON NAVAL CONFERENCE.
Note by the Secretary-Genersl.
The Secretary-General has the honour to circulate
to the Members of the League and to all States represented on
the Conference for the Reduction and Limitation of Armaments,
for information, the following correspondence exchanged with
the Government of the United Kingdom.
1.
Letter to the Secretary-General from the Government of
the United Kingdom, dated 24th October, 1935.
London,
24th October, 1935.
I am directed by His M a je s ty ’s principal Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs to inform you that His Majesty's
Government in the United Kingdom have been giving careful con­
sideration to the results of the preliminary bilateral naval
conversations which have been proceeding between representa­
tives of the signatory Powers of the Washington and London Naval
Treaties to prepare the way for a Naval Conference.
In view
of the express provisions of Article XXIII of the Washington
Naval Treaty, the effect of which is, in the circumstances
which have occurred, that the signatory Powers must meet in
conference during the present y e a r , and in view of the fact
that this country has so far taken the initiative in arranging
for these bilateral discussions, His M a j es t y’s Government are
prepared to summon a Conference to meet in London on the 2nd
December n e x t .
The. purpose of this Conference would be to
secure agreement on as many aspects as possible of naval limi­
tation with a view to the conclusion of an international treaty
which would take the place of the two Naval Treaties expiring
at the end of 1935.
It is hoped that, once agreement is in
sight between the representatives of the signatory Powers, an
extension of the scope of the Conference m a y bo possible so
as to include representatives of the other naval Powers.
2.
Official invitations have to-day been addressed by
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to the repre­
sentatives of the United States, Japanese
French and Italian
Governments in London, expressing the hope that His Majesty's
Government may be informed as soon as possible as to whether
their respective Governments would be prepared to be repre­
sented at the proposed Conference.
It has been suggested in
these invitations that it may prove convenient to all con­
cerned and may serve to keep the size of each delegation as
small as possible, if the interested Governments wore to be
represented by their Ambassadors in London.
For the Secretary of State :
\
(Signed)
R.L. CRAIGIE.
-
2.
2
-
L etter to tho Government of the United Kingdom from
the Secretary-General, dated October 50th, 1955.
Geneva,
I have the honour
letter of the 24th October,
by His Maje st y ’s Government
Conference in London on the
October 30t h , 1935.
to acknowledge the receipt of your
1935, in regard to the summoning
in the United Kingdom of a Naval
2nd December n e x t .
I note that official invitations have been addressed
by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom to the
representatives of the United States, Japanese, French and
Italian Governments in London, expressing the hope that His
M a j e st y ’s Government may be informed as soon as possible as
to whether their respective Governments w uld bo prepared to
be represented at the proposed Conference.
I shall not fail to communicate this letter to the
Members of the League and to all States represented on the
Disarmament Conference.
(Signed)
J. AVENOL,
Secretary-Genera1.
3.
Letter to the Secretary-General from the Government of
the United Kingdom, dated 50th November, 195 5.
London,
30th November, 1935.
With reference to Foreign Office communication of
the 24th October last, I am directed by His Majesty’s Princi­
pal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to inform you
that, in view of the important bearing which the forthcoming
Naval Conference in London must necessarily have in the sphere
of international disarmament, His Majesty's Government in the
United Kingdom are of opinion that it would be most useful
for all concerned if you could see your v/ay to appointing a
representative of the League of Nations to attend the meetings
of the Conference as an observer, without, however, having
the power to vote or participate in the discussions.
2.
In expressing the hope that it will be found possibl
for the necessary arrangements to bo m a d e , I am to add that
the Governments of the United States, F r a n c o , Japan and Italy
have agreed that the present invitation should be addressed
to y o u .
(Signed)
Adrian HOLMAN.
4.
Letter to the Government of the United Kingdom from
the Secretary-General, dated 2nd December, 1955.
Geneva, 2nd December, 1935.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of November 30th, 1935, by which you were good
enough to invite a representative of the League of Nations
to attend the meetings of the forthcoming Naval Conference
in London as an observer, without, howeverr having the power
to vote or participate in the discussions.
2.
I have pleasure in accepting your invitation, and
have appointed M. Thsnassis Aghnides, Director of the Disarma­
ment Section in the Secretariat of the League of Nations, to
represent the League at the Conference in the conditions
indicated above.
3.
M. Aghnides will be accompanied by Captain B.F . Adams
D . S . O. , R.N. (retired), Naval Expert in the Disarmament Section
(Signed)
J. AVEN OL .
Secretary-General.