711.6212Anti-War/28

The Ambassador in Germany (Schurman) to the Secretary of State

No. 3473

Sir: With reference to the Department’s telegram No. 43, (Paris No. 118) of April 23, 5 p.m., on the question of a multilateral treaty for the renunciation of war, I have the honor to transmit herewith an Aide Memoire45 thereon which I handed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Stresemann on April 27.

In addition to the foregoing and in confirmation of the Embassy’s telegram No. 85 of April 28, 11 a.m.,45 I have the honor to transmit, in the original as well as translation, the reply of the German Government, dated April 27, to the note which I handed Dr. Stresemann on April 13 on the same subject (See Embassy’s telegram No. 72 of April 13, 7 p.m.46)

I have [etc.]

Jacob Gould Schurman
[Enclosure—Translation47]

The German Minister for Foreign Affairs (Stresemann) to the American Ambassador (Schurman)

V. M. 1990

Mr. Ambassador: In the note of April 13 and its enclosures Your Excellency informed me of the negotiations between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of France regarding the conclusion of an international pact for the outlawry of war. At the same time you asked me the question whether the German [Page 43] Government was disposed to conclude such a pact in accordance with the draft put forward by the Government of the United States or whether it considered certain changes in this draft necessary.

The German Government has studied the question put by you with the care appropriate to the extraordinary importance of the matter. It was possible also in this study to take into consideration the draft treaty which had been drawn up in the meantime by the French Government and handed to the participating powers. As a result of this study I have the honor to inform Your Excellency of the following in the name of the German Government:

The German Government welcomes most warmly the opening of negotiations for the conclusion of an international pact for the outlawry of war. The two main ideas on which are based the initiative of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and the resulting proposal of the United States correspond fully to the principles of German policy. Germany has no higher interest than to see the possibility of armed conflicts eliminated and a development assured in the life of the nations which would guarantee the peaceful settlement of all international disputes. The conclusion of a pact such as the United States now has in view would certainly bring the nations a good deal nearer to this goal.

As the need of the nations for the assurance of peace since the termination of the World War has already led to other international agreements, the necessity arises for the states concerned to make a decision as to the relationship in which the pact now being planned would stand to these international agreements which are already in effect. You have already, Mr. Ambassador, referred in your note to the considerations which were put forward in this connection by the French Government in its exchange of views with the Government of the United States. So far as Germany is concerned, the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Rhine Pact of Locarno come into consideration as international agreements which might affect the substance of the new pact. Other international obligations of this kind have not been entered into by Germany. Respect for the obligations arising from the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Rhine Pact must, in the opinion of the German Government, remain inviolable. The German Government is, however, convinced that these obligations contain nothing which could in any way conflict with the obligations provided for in the draft treaty of the United States. On the contrary it believes that the binding obligation not to use war as an instrument of national policy could only serve to strengthen the fundamental idea of the Covenant of the League of Nations and of the Rhine Pact.

The German Government proceeds on the belief that a pact after the pattern submitted by the Government of the United States would [Page 44] not put in question the sovereign right of any state to defend itself. It is self-evident that if one state violates the pact the other contracting parties regain their freedom of action with reference to that state. The state affected by the violation of the pact is therefore not prevented from taking up arms on its own part against the breaker of the peace. In a pact of this kind to provide expressly for the case of a violation seems to the German Government unnecessary.

In agreement with the Government of the United States and with the French Government, the German Government is also of the opinion that the ultimate goal must be the universality of the new pact. In order to bring about this universality, the draft treaty of the United States seems to open a practical way. When the states primarily held in view as signatory powers have concluded the pact it may be expected that the other states will thereupon make use of the right of adhesion which is assured to them without limitation or condition.

The German Government can accordingly declare that it is ready to conclude a pact in accordance with the proposal of the Government of the United States and to this end to enter into the necessary negotiations with the Governments concerned. To this declaration the German Government adds moreover its definite expectation that the realization of a pact of such importance will not fail to make its influence felt at once in connection with the shaping of international relations. Therefore this new guarantee for the maintenance of peace must give a real impulse to the efforts for the carrying out of general disarmament. And further still, the renunciation of war must as a necessary complement enlarge the possibilities of settling in a peaceful way the existing and potential conflicts of national interests.

Stresemann
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Not printed; it was in reply to the Department’s telegram No. 39, Apr. 12, 10 a.m., footnote 31, p. 27.
  4. File translation revised.