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conditions however short they may fall of the spirit and letter of the Washington treaty. Their motives appear to be, firstly, anxiety of Mr. Strawn on his forthcoming return to America to be able to report achievement, even if only amongst foreign delegations and on paper of agreement for implementing Washington treaty and secondly, feeling of United States Minister that such an achievement will be some safeguard against eventual recrudescence of anti-foreign feeling if Washington promises remain unliquidated. We cannot therefore count on their support in resisting Japanese amendments.
My views on the three points raised in the Japanese instructions are as follows: firstly, I doubt advicability of any announcement by foreign dele- gations of summer recess in view of the dangers of mis- representation of foreign attitude which have been shown to exist. This I understand to be also the view of American delegation.
As regards procedure to be followed if and when agreement has been reached amongst foreign delegations, I feel the Powers should not commit themselves before the conference is resumed by publication of terms of draft, and that any announcement which Americans or other Powers may desire to make should be confined to statement to the effect that Foreign Powers have com- pleted the preparation so far as they properly can amongst themselves for grant of Washington surtaxes so soon as the political situation permits of further pro- Gress with conference.
Secondly,