who having communicated their full powers found in good and due form have agreed as follows: 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 British Empire, the French Republic and the United States of America 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 manœuvres 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, Great Britain agrees 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 the French Republic and the United States of America, 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 shall before ratification by His Majesty be submitted to Parliament for approval. It shall before ratification by the President of the French Republic be submitted to the French Chambers for approval. ARTICLE V. The present treaty shall impose no obligation upon any of the Dominions of the British Empire unless and until it is approved by the Parliament of the Dominion concerned. The present treaty shall be ratified, and shall, subject to Articles II and IV, come into force at the same time as the Treaty of Peace with Germany of even date comes into force for the British Empire and the French Republic. In faith whereof the above named plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty, drawn up in the English and French languages. Done in duplicate at Versailles, on the twenty-eighth day of June, 1919. D. LLOYD GEORGE. S. PICHON. LETTER ADDRESSED TO M. PADEREWSKI BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE TRANSMITTING TO HIM THE TREATY TO BE SIGNED BY POLAND UNDER ARTICLE 93 OF THE TREATY OF PEACE WITH GERMANY.1 Paris, June 24, 1919. SIR: On behalf of the Supreme Council of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, I have the honor to communicate to you herewith in its final form the text of the treaty which, in accordance with Article 93 of the Treaty of Peace with Germany, Poland will be asked to sign on the occasion of the confirmation of her recognition as an independent state and of the transference to her of the territories 1 British Treaty Series, No. 8 (1919). included in the former German Empire which are assigned to her by the said treaty. The principal provisions were communicated to the Polish Delegation in Paris in May last, and were subsequently communicated direct to the Polish Government through the French Minister at Warsaw. The Council have since had the advantage of the suggestions which you were good enough to convey to them in your memorandum of the 16th June, and as the result of a study of these suggestions modifications have been introduced in the text of the treaty. The Council believe that it will be found that by these modifications the principal points to which attention was drawn in your memorandum have, in so far as they relate to specific provisions of the treaty, been adequately covered. In formally communicating to you the final decision of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in this matter, I should desire to take this opportunity of explaining in a more formal manner than has hitherto been done the considerations by which the Principal Allied and Associated Powers have been guided in dealing with the question. 1. In the first place, I would point out that this treaty does not constitute any fresh departure. It has for long been the established procedure of the public law of Europe that when a state is created, or even when large accessions of territory are made to an established state, the joint and formal recognition by the great Powers should be accompanied by the requirement that such state should, in the form of a binding international convention, undertake to comply with certain principles of government. This principal, for which there are numerous other precedents, received the most explicit sanction when, at the last great assembly of European Powers-the Congress of Berlin-the sovereignty and independence of Serbia, Montenegro, and Roumania were recognized. It is desirable to recall the words. used on this occasion by the British, French, Italian, and German plenipotentiaries, as recorded in the protocol of the 28th June, 1878: Lord Salisbury recognizes the independence of Serbia, but is of opinion that it would be desirable to stipulate in the Principality the great principle of religious liberty. Mr. Waddington believes that it is important to take advantage of this solemn opportunity to cause the principles of religious liberty to be affirmed by the representatives of Europe. His Excellency adds that Serbia, who claims to enter the European family on the same basis as other states, must previously recognize the principles which are the basis of social organization in all States of Europe and accept them as a necessary condition of the favor which she asks for. Prince Bismarck, associating himself with the French proposal, declares that the assent of Germany is always assured to any motion favorable to religious liberty. Count de Launay says that, in the name of Italy, he desires to adhere to the principle of religious liberty, which forms one of the essential bases of the institutions of his country, and that he associates himself with the declarations made on this subject by Germany, France, and Great Britain. Count Andrassy expresses himself to the same effect, and the Ottoman plenipotentiaries raise no objection. Prince Bismarck, after having summed up the results of the vote, declares that Germany admits the independence of Serbia, but on condition that religious liberty will be recognized in the Principality. His Serene Highness adds that the drafting committee, when they formulate this decision, will affirm the connection established by the Conference between the proclamation of Serbian independence and the recognition of religious liberty. 2. The Principal Allied and Associated Powers are of opinion that they would be false to the responsibility which rests upon them if on this occasion they departed from what has become an established tradition. In this connection I must also recall to your consideration the fact that it is to the endeavors and sacrifices of the Powers in whose name I am addressing you that the Polish nation owes the recovery of its independence. It is by their decision that Polish. sovereignty is being reëstablished over the territories in question and that the inhabitants of these territories are being incorporated in the Polish nation. It is on the support which the resources of these Powers will afford to the League of Nations that for the future Poland will to a large extent depend for the secure possession of these territories. There rests, therefore, upon these Powers an obligation, which they cannot evade, to secure in the most permanent and solemn form guarantees for certain essential rights which will afford to the inhabitants the necessary protection whatever changes may take place in the internal constitution of the Polish state. It is in accordance with this obligation that clause 93 was inserted in the Treaty of Peace with Germany. This clause relates only to Poland, but a similar clause applies the same principles to CzechoSlovakia, and other clauses have been inserted in the Treaty of Peace with Austria and will be inserted in those with Hungary and with Bulgaria, under which similar obligations will be undertaken by other states, which under those treaties receive large accessions of territory. The consideration of these facts will be sufficient to show that by the requirement addressed to Poland at the time when it receives in the most solemn manner the joint recognition of the reëstablishment of its sovereignty and independence and when large accessions of territory are being assigned to it, no doubt is thrown upon the sincerity of the desire of the Polish Government and the Polish nation to maintain the general principles of justice and liberty. Any such doubt would be far from the intention of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers. 3. It is indeed true that the new treaty differs in form from earlier conventions dealing with similar matters. The change of form is a necessary consequence and an essential part of the new system of international relations which is now being built up by the establishment of the League of Nations. Under the older system the guarantee for the execution of similar provisions was vested in the great Powers. Experience has shown that this was in practice ineffective, and it was also open to the criticism that it might give to the great Powers, either individually or in combination, a right to interfere in the internal constitution of the states affected which could be used for political purposes. Under the new system the guarantee is entrusted to the League of Nations. The clauses dealing with this guarantee have been carefully drafted so as to make it clear that Poland will not be in any way under the tutelage of those Powers who are signatories to the treaty. I should desire, moreover, to point out to you that provision has been inserted in the treaty by which disputes arising out of its provisions may be brought before the Court of the League of Nations. In this way differences which might arise will be removed from the political sphere and placed in the hands of a judicial court, and it is hoped that thereby an impartial decision will be facilitated, while at the same time any danger of political interference by the Powers in the internal affairs of Poland will be avoided. 4. The particular provisions to which Poland and the other states will be asked to adhere differ to some extent from those which were imposed on the new states at the Congress of Berlin. But the obligations imposed upon new states seeking recognition have at all times |