European Security

In answer to a note addressed to her by France, acting also on behalf of Britain and Belgium, Germany last week advanced the cause of European security.

Early in the year Germany intimated to France that she was willing in the interests of peace to guarantee the status quo of the frontier dividing Germany from France and Belgium, but specifically left for peaceful negotiations all questions relative to the boundary which separates the Reich from Poland and Czecho-Slovakia. Britain later agreed, subject to parliamentary ratification, to guarantee the powers on both sides of the Franco-Belgo-German frontier against unprovoked aggression.

After lengthy conversations involving considerable delay, M. Aristide Briand, French Foreign Minister, replied to Germany that she must become a member of the League of Nations before anything could be done; that whatever was done must in no sense modify the Peace Treaties; that arbitration treaties (proposed by Germany to guarantee "a peaceful settlement of juridical and political conflicts") ought to be signed not only with France but with Belgium and, by implication, with Poland and Czechoslovakia. Under no circumstances shall room be left in these treaties for coercive action except "when such action shall be undertaken consistently with the provisions of the treaties" now in force.

It was a reply to this note that the Germans last week despatched to Paris. The German Government made categorical answers to the principal points raised by the French:

League. While not of the opinion that Germany's entrance into the League would be indispensable to a realization of the aims of the proposed security guarantee, the German Government "will, in principle, not raise any objection against the linking up of the two problems." Special exemption for Germany, as an unarmed State, from military duties under Article XVI of the Covenant of the League* was claimed.

Peace Treaties. The German Government professed itself unable to underStand the meaning which France desired to express with regard to the inviolability of the Peace Treaties. "The German Government considers as self-evident that it is not meant to exclude for all future time the possibility of adapting existing treaties at the proper time to changed circumstances by way of peaceful agreement." Meaning that Germany was still intent upon securing modification of her boundary with Poland.

Arbitration Treaties. The German Government, confessing "considerable doubts," asked for "further elucidation" concerning the arbitral treaties which she was asked to sign with Belgium, Poland and Czecho-Slovakia. Germany's "doubts" concerned the right of the Allied Governments, even under the terms of the Peace treaties, to take coercive action without first submitting their case to some international body. Unless such an arrangement were made, "real pacification, as aimed at by the German Government in concert with the Allied Governments, would not be reached." A regular precedure to regulate coercive action was asked.

The universal opinion of the German note was that it marked the beginning of a new spirit of peace and goodwill in Europe and left the door wide open to a frank discussion of the issues involved in a parley to be called probably in August.

*Art. XVI: Should any of the high contracting parties break or disregard its covenants ... it shall thereby ipso facto be deemed to have committed an act of war against all the other members of the League which hereby undertake immediately to subject it to the severance of all trade or financial relations, the prohibition of all intercourse between their nationals and the nationals of the covenant-breaking State, and the prevention of all financial, commercial or personal intercourse between the nations of the covenant-breaking and the nationals of any other State, whether a member of the League or not. It shall be the duty of the Executive Council in such case to recommend what effective military or naval or air force the Members of the League shall severally contribute to the armed forces to be used to project the covenants of the League. The high contracting parties agree further that . . . they will afford passage through their territory to the forces of any of the high contracting parties who are cooperating to protect the covenants of the League.