military authorities will always take place through the channel of the Allied High Command. 5. All civil commissions or officials already appointed or to be appointed by any one or more of the Allied and Associated Powers who deal with matters affecting the civil administration or the economic life of the civilian population in the occupied territory shall, if they are retained, be placed under the authority of the High Commission. 6. (a) The appointment of each High Commissioner shall be subject to the approval of all the Allied and Associated Governments represented. (b) The French member of the High Commission shall be president thereof. (c) The decisions of the High Commission shall be reached by a majority of votes. (d) Each High Commissioner shall have one vote. But in case of an equality of votes the president shall have the right to give a casting vote. (e) In either of these two cases the dissenting High Commissioner, or High Commissioners, may appeal to their governments. But such an appeal shall not, in case of urgency, delay the putting into execution of the decisions taken, which shall then be carried out under the responsibility of the members voting for the decisions. 7. In issuing decrees and proclamations or otherwise interfering with civil administration under a state of siege, the commander in chief shall continue to act in consultation with and only after approval by the High Commission. This shall, of course, not apply to action of a purely military nature. DECLARATION BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE IN REGARD TO THE OCCUPATION OF THE RHINE PROVINCES.1 June 16, 1919. The Allied and Associated Powers did not insist on making the period of occupation last until the reparation clauses were completely executed, because they assumed that Germany would be obliged to give 1 British Command, Paper No. 240 every proof of her good will and every necessary guarantee before the end of the fifteen years' time. As the cost of occupation involves an equivalent reduction of the amount available for reparations, the Allied and Associated Powers stipulated, by Article 431 of the treaty, that if before the end of the fifteen years' period Germany had fulfilled all her obligations under the treaty, the troops of occupation should be immediately withdrawn. If Germany, at the earlier date, has given proofs of her good will and satisfactory guarantees to assure the fulfillment of her obligations the Allied and Associated Powers concerned will be ready to come to an agreement between themselves for the earlier termination of the period of occupation. Now and henceforward, in order to alleviate the burden of the reparations bill, they agree that as soon as the Allied and Associated. Powers concerned are convinced that the conditions of disarmament by Germany are being satisfactorily fulfilled, the annual amount of the sums to be paid by Germany to cover the cost of occupation shall not exceed 240 million marks (gold). This provision can be modified if the Allied and Associated Powers agree as to the necessity of such modification. AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND FRANCE PROVIDING FOR ASSISTANCE TO FRANCE IN THE EVENT OF UNPROVOKED AGGRESSION Signed at Versailles June 28, 1919. Whereas the United States of America and the French Republic are equally animated by the desire to maintain the peace of the world. so happily restored by the Treaty of Peace signed at Versailles the 28th day of June, 1919, putting an end to the war begun by the aggression of the German Empire and ended by the defeat of that Power; and, Whereas the United States of America and the French Republic are fully persuaded that an unprovoked movement of aggression by 1 Senate Document No. 63, 66th Congress, 1st Session. Not ratified at the date of publication herein. Germany against France would not only violate both the letter and the spirit of the Treaty of Versailles to which the United States of America and the French Republic are parties, thus exposing France anew to the intolerable burdens of an unprovoked war, but that such aggression on the part of Germany would be and is so regarded by the Treaty of Versailles as a hostile act against all the Powers signatory to that treaty and as calculated to disturb the peace of the world by involving inevitably and directly the states of Europe, and indirectly, as experience has amply and unfortunately demonstrated, the world at large; and, Whereas the United States of America and the French Republic fear that the stipulations relating to the left bank of the Rhine contained in said Treaty of Versailles may not at first provide adequate security and protection to France on the one hand and the United States of America as one of the signatories of the Treaty of Versailles on the other; Therefore, the United States of America and the French Republic having decided to conclude a treaty to effect these necessary purposes, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, and Robert Lansing, Secretary of State of the United States, specially authorized thereto by the President of the United States, and Georges Clemenceau, President of the Council, Minister of War, and Stéphen Pichon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, specially authorized thereto by Raymond Poincaré, President of the French Republic, have agreed upon the following articles: ARTICLE I. In case the following stipulations relating to the left bank of the Rhine contained in the Treaty of Peace with Germany signed at Versailles the 28th day of June, 1919, by the United States of America, the French Republic and the British Empire among other Powers: ARTICLE 42. Germany is forbidden to maintain or construct any fortifications either on the left bank of the Rhine or on the right bank to the west of a line drawn 50 kilometres to the east of the Rhine. ARTICLE 43. In the area defined above the maintenance and assembly of armed forces, either permanently or temporarily, and military manoeuvres of any kind, as well as the upkeep of all permanent works for mobilization are in the same way forbidden. ARTICLE 44. In case Germany violates in any manner whatever the provisions of Articles 42 and 43, she shall be regarded as committing a hostile act against the Powers signatory of the present treaty and as calculated to disturb the peace of the world. may not at first provide adequate security and protection to France, the United States of America shall be bound to come immediately to her assistance in the event of any unprovoked movement of aggression against her being made by Germany. ARTICLE II. The present treaty, in similar terms with the treaty of even date for the same purpose concluded between Great Britain and the French Republic, a copy of which treaty is annexed hereto, will only come into force when the latter is ratified. ARTICLE III. The present treaty must be submitted to the Council of the League of Nations, and must be recognized by the Council, acting if need be by a majority, as an engagement which is consistent with the Covenant of the League. It will continue in force until, on the application of one of the Parties to it, the Council, acting if need be by a majority, agrees that the League itself affords sufficient protection. ARTICLE IV. The present treaty will be submitted to the Senate of the United States at the same time as the Treaty of Versailles is submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification. It will be submitted before ratification to the French Chambers of Deputies for approval. The ratifications thereof will be exchanged on the deposit of ratifications of the Treaty of Versailles at Paris or as soon thereafter as shall be possible. In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries, to wit: On the part of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson, President, and Robert Lansing, Secretary of State, of the United States; and on the part of the French Republic, Georges Clemenceau, President of the Council of Ministers, Minister of War, and Stéphen Pichon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, have signed the above articles both in the English and French languages, and they have hereunto affixed their seals. Done in duplicate at the City of Versailles, on the twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and nineteen, and the one hundred and forty-third of the independence of the United States of America. [SEAL.] [SEAL.] [SEAL.] [SEAL.] WOODROW WILSON. ROBERT LANSING. AGREEMENT BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE PROVIDING FOR ASSISTANCE TO FRANCE IN THE EVENT OF UNPROVOKED AGGRESSION BY GERMANY.1 Signed at Versailles June 28, 1919. Whereas there is a danger that the stipulations relating to the left bank of the Rhine contained in the Treaty of Peace signed this day at Versailles may not at first provide adequate security and protection to the French Republic; and Whereas His Britannic Majesty is willing, subject to the consent of His Parliament and provided that a similar obligation is entered. into by the United States of America, to undertake to support the French Government in the case of an unprovoked movement of aggression being made against France by Germany; and Whereas His Britannic Majesty and the President of the French Republic have determined to conclude a treaty to that effect and have named as their plenipotentiaries for the purpose, that is to say: His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the seas, Emperor of India: The Right Honorable David Lloyd George, M. P., First The Right Honorable Arthur James Balfour, O. M., M. P., The President of the French Republic: Mr. Georges Clemenceau, President of the Council, Minister of War; Mr. Stéphen Pichon, Minister of Foreign Affairs; 1 Senate Document No. 63, 66th Congress, 1st Session, ratified. |