711.6212Anti-War/28
The Ambassador in Germany (Schurman) to the Secretary of
State
Berlin, May 1,
1928.
[Received May 14.]
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.]
[Enclosure—Translation47]
The German Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Stresemann) to the
American Ambassador (Schurman)
Berlin, April 21,
1928.
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.