Office of the Historian

740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/393: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Straus) to the Secretary of State

Paris, March 10, 1936—noon.
[Received March 10—9:50 a.m.]

184. At the meeting of the Locarno signatories72 this morning Flandin, after declaring that the question was not one which concerned France and Germany alone but was the concern of all signatories of the Locarno pact, proceeded to set forth the demands of the French Government as follows: [Page 229]

1.
That the signatories of Locarno should send what amounts to a virtual ultimatum to Hitler to withdraw his troops from the Rhineland.
2.
That the signatories of Locarno should consent to refuse all negotiations with the Reich as long as German troops remain in the Rhineland.
3.
That if German troops are withdrawn, negotiations can proceed under article 8 of the Locarno treaty which provides that the Council of the League of Nations can denounce the treaty with the consent of all signatories.
4.
If Hitler should refuse to withdraw troops from the Rhineland the Locarno signatories should solidly demand sanctions from the Council of the League of Nations the first of which should be the withdrawal of their ambassadors as a gesture of discontent.

Sarraut is now with President Lebrun keeping him informed of the situation.

Straus
  1. Germany was not included.↩