740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/843
Memorandum by the Third Secretary of Embassy in Belgium (Willis)17
Mr. Le Ghait (Chef de Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Commerce) stated that the reply of the Belgian Government to the British note of September 17, 1936,18 was of course in line with the recent speech of the King on foreign policy. According to Mr. Le Ghait the British note contained proposals for regional pacts rather than the negotiation of new agreements along the lines of the old Locarno pacts; for example there should be a pact of mutual assistance between England, France and Germany, and another between France, Italy and Germany. Mr. Le Ghait stated that England was willing to guarantee Belgium but did not request that Belgium guarantee England in return. Mr. Le Ghait pointed out that in view of the nature of the British proposals there was nothing at variance with Belgium’s newly defined position in regard to foreign policy, and Belgium had answered affirmatively to all the British proposals, but a vague reference had been included concerning the position Belgium wished to establish in her relations with her other neighbors, implying the abandoning of her role as a guarantor.
There was nothing in the Belgian reply to the British note to slow down the Locarno negotiations, Mr. Le Ghait said, but he hastened [Page 364] to add that in view of Italy’s reply and what he believed to be the nature of the German reply to the British note progress would probably be difficult.
In reply to a direct inquiry, Mr. Le Ghait stated that even if Belgium were to be a guaranteed power this would not enable the guarantors to send troops through Belgium or to fly aeroplanes over Belgian territory unless Belgium specifically requested assistance.
Mr. Le Ghait dismissed as ridiculous the report in the press that Belgium had been requested not to undertake staff conversations with Germany pending the conclusion of the Locarno negotiations.