711.5112 France/272

French Draft of Treaty for the Condemnation and Renunciation of War as am, Instrument of National Policy 35

[Translation]

The President of the German Empire, the President of the United States of America, the President of the French Republic, His Majesty the King of England, Ireland and the British Dominions, Emperor of India, His Majesty the King of Italy, His Majesty the Emperor of Japan:

Equally desirous not only of perpetuating the happy relations of peace and friendship now existing among their peoples, but also of avoiding the danger of war between all other nations in the world,

Having agreed to consecrate in a solemn act their most formal and most definite resolution to condemn war as an instrument of national policy and to renounce it in favor of a peaceful settlement of international conflicts,

Expressing, finally, the hope that all the other nations of the world will be willing to join in this humane effort to bring about the association of the civilized peoples in a common renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, have decided to conclude a treaty and to that end have designated as their respective plenipotentiaries:

  • The President of the German Empire:
  • The President of the United States of America:
  • The President of the French Republic:
  • His Majesty the King of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions, Emperor of India:
  • His Majesty the King of Italy:
  • His Majesty the Emperor of Japan:

who, after exchanging their full powers found to be in good and due form have agreed on the following provisions:

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Article One

The High Contracting Parties without any intention to infringe upon the exercise of their rights of legitimate self-defense within the framework of existing treaties, particularly when the violation of certain of the provisions of such treaties constitutes a hostile act, solemnly declare that they condemn recourse to war and renounce it as an instrument of national policy; that is to say, as an instrument of individual, spontaneous and independent political action taken on their own initiative and not action in respect of which they might become involved through the obligation of a treaty such as the covenant of the League of Nations or any other treaty registered with the League of Nations. They undertake on these conditions not to attack or invade one another.

Article Two

The settlement or solution of all disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or origin which might arise among the High Contracting Parties or between any two of them shall never be sought on either side except by pacific methods.

Article Three

In case one of the High Contracting Parties should contravene this treaty, the other Contracting Powers would ipso facto be released with respect to that Party from their obligations under this treaty.

Article Four

The provisions of this treaty in no wise affect the rights and obligations of the Contracting Parties resulting from prior international agreements to which they are parties.

Article Five

The present treaty will be offered for the accession of all Powers and will have no binding force until it has been generally accepted unless the signatory Powers in accord with those that may accede hereto shall agree to decide that it shall come into effect regardless of certain abstentions.

Article Six

The present treaty shall be ratified.

The ratifications shall be deposited at . . . . . . .; within three months from the date of the deposit of the ratifications it shall be communicated by the Government of . . . . . . . to all the Powers with an invitation to accede.

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The Government of . . . . . . . will transmit to each of the signatory Powers and the Powers that have acceded a duly certified copy of the instruments of accession as they are received.

One year after the expiration of the three months’ period provided in Article Five, the Government of . . . . . . . will send out a statement of the signatories and accessions to all the Powers that have signed or acceded.

In witness whereof the above named plenipotentiaries have signed this treaty and sealed it with their seal.

Done at . . . . . . . in . . . . . . . copies drawn up in French and English and all having equal force.

  1. Handed to the Under Secretary of State by the Counselor of the French Embassy on April 20.