500.A15A4 General Committee/840: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany ( White ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 14—2:40 p.m.]
52. Forwarding by mail text translation of German arms aide-mémoire 77 replying to French of February 14.
Following are some of the significant points. Germany had refrained from answering hitherto by reason of British conversations. The aide-mémoire endeavors to allay French misapprehensions listed below.
(1) As to purview of proposed non-aggression pacts it is stated that this may be deduced from international practice in recent years of which German-Polish declaration of January 26 gives a very clear example to the effect that Germany will go to the limit to avoid use of force; further that Germany does not wish by other non-aggression pacts to weaken Locarno. It will be time to settle Germany’s future relations to League of Nations when the disarmament question has been settled. As to (2), claim that really effective disarmament is not at present attainable and, (3), question of control, memorandum presents no new material. In regard to (4), distinction between political and military formations, Germany proposes that a clear-cut regulation applicable to all lands be made before signature of treaty.
Apart from above-mentioned grounds for misunderstanding there remain differences of opinion as to method of reckoning strength of personnel and time when German Army may be equipped with defensive weapons. In regard to first, question is again raised of transfer to metropolis of oversea troops and of trained reserves: as to second, proposed prolongation of discrimination against Germany is characterized as “decisive question.”
Aide-mémoire approves Italian and British proposals as tending to facilitate solution; declares Germany armament condition as under Versailles Treaty can no longer be considered; repeats that Germany renounces all offensive weapons and terminates with obscure sentence apparently intimating that the way is now clear for a decision as to whether there shall be an agreement or not.
- Handed by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs to the French Ambassador on March 13, 1934; for English translation, see Great Britain, Cmd. 4559, p. 7; for French translation, see Négotiations rélatives à la réduction et à la limitation des armements, p. 55.↩