[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use. .]
From UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Decode.
Sir R, Lindsay (Washington).
29th December, 1931.
D.
R.
No. 774.
6.40 p.m., 29th December, 1951.
9.30 a.m., 30th December, 1931.
(R).
(380)
•
•
• •
16
384
My telegram No. 762.
Mr. Hornbeck gave me today written aide-memoire which
is substantially in the same sense as Mr. Castle's
language to me. Copy by bag.
Mr. Hornbeck then suggested that if, as is possible, some violation of extraterritorial rights were to be
porpetrated, the best thing would be that the Powers
chiefly concerned (United States, Great Britain and France, but not Japan) should immediately and simultaneous- ly present an identic note of strong protest. He
proposed that the drafting of the note should be pro-
ceeded with at once so as to be ready the moment an
emergency should arise.
I suggested that there might be danger of the news leaking out that the note was in preparation. To appear as contemplating a breach of treaty was rather an invita-
tion to the commission of a breach. Would it not be
better to agree between ourselves to the principle of an identic note, and to invite French co-operation urgently
when the occasion arose?
He admibod this, but I think preferred his own
Please telegraph your instructions.
scheme.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.