793.94 Conference/94
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The object of His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom in suggesting that the Belgian Government should be requested to issue invitations now to the German and Soviet Governments to send Representatives to attend the Brussels Conference was simply in order to avoid the delay to the work of the Conference which would be entailed if it had to wait for the acceptance of further invitations and the arrival of further delegates after it had opened.
It seems to His Majesty’s Government impossible to exclude either Russia or Germany from the Conference. Italy not long ago announced that she would not take part in conferences if Germany was not represented. Otherwise His Majesty’s Government are not aware of her attitude in this particular case but press reports have indicated the likelihood of her attending the Conference. Nor do His Majesty’s Government know the attitude of Japan which appears to be undecided as yet. His Majesty’s Government have expressed the earnest hope that she would attend. The Counsellor of the Japanese Embassy in London yesterday expressed the view that peace might best be furthered through the efforts of, say, His Majesty’s Government and the United States Government; he was told that if Japan attended the Conference it would be possible for her to put forward that view if she so desired.