740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/395a
The Secretary of State to President Roosevelt
My Dear Mr. President: I am transmitting herewith a memorandum66 giving a brief analysis of the action taken by the German Government in sending troops into that part of the Rhine zone which was demilitarized under the Treaty of Versailles and which demilitarization is likewise provided for in the Treaty of Locarno. This memorandum gives the pertinent clauses of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Locarno which are applicable to the German action.67 It likewise gives the procedure provided for under the Treaty of Locarno in the event of a violation of the restriction against the assembly of armed forces or the maintenance and construction of fortifications on the left bank of the Rhine.
It would appear from this brief analysis that the action of the German Government has constituted both a violation of the Versailles and Locarno pacts, but as far as the United States is concerned it does not appear to constitute a violation of our treaty of August 25, 1921 with Germany,68 as our treaty with Germany does not include Part 3 of the Treaty of Versailles which contains the provisions for the demilitarization of the Rhineland zone.
We are continuing to watch closely the developments arising from this German action and I shall keep you currently informed of all the information which becomes available to us in the premises.
Faithfully yours,
- Not printed.↩
- Articles 42, 43, and 44, part III, of the Treaty of Versailles; articles 1, 4, 5, and 8 of the Treaty of Locarno.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1921, vol. ii, p. 29.↩