The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-07

of Fuehrer Adolf Hitler's memo
randum to ambassadors follows:
Immediately upon being informed
Of the pact between France and
Soviet Russia, concluded May Q,
1885, the German government
called the attention of other sig
natory powers of the Locarno Rhine
pact to the fact that the 6bliga-
tons which France assumed under
the new pact were not compatible
with her obligations under the Lo-
carno pact.
The German government at that
time amply explained it's attitude.
from both juristic and political
viewpoints. The juristic explana-
ton was contained in the German
memorandum of Msy Is, 1885. The
political explanation was given in
diplomatic conversations after that
memorandum.
THE governments in question also
were aware that neither their writ
ten answers to the German men,
orandum nor arguments invoked by
them through diplomatic channels
or publicly were able to invalidate
the German governments stand
point.
Directed Against Germany
I'm fact the whole diplomatic and
public discussion since May, 1885,
could do nothing but confirm all
points of opinion expressed by the
German government from the out
set.
Firstly, it is not contested that
the Franco-Soviet pact was directed
exclusively against Germany.
Secondly, it is uncontested that
France, in assuming obligations in
case of conflict between Germany
and the Soviet Union which far ex-
coed her duties under the covenant,
compels her to take military meas
ures against Germany even in the
absence of any recommendation or
any decision of the League council.
Thirdly, it is uncontested that
France consequently reserves the
right in any such conflict to- deter
mine who is the aggressor.
Ready to Act in Any Case
Fourthly, it is established that
France has undertaken obligations
to the Soviet Union which in prac-
tice, means readiness to act in any
given case as though neither League
covenant nor the Rhineland pact
which refers to covenant are in
force.
This effect of the Franco-Soviet
pact is not abolished by the fact
that France therein made a reserva-
ton not to be obligated to military
action against Germany if by such
action it would be subject to sane
lions on the part of Italy or Great
Britain. Concerning this reservation
the fact is decisive that the Rhine
land was not based only on the
guaranty of Great Britain and Italy,
but primarily on the obligations
fixed for relations between France
and Germany.
Therefore, it matters only whether
France, when taking over these ooli-
cations (Franco-Soviet pacO, has
kept with the limitation imposed
by the Rhineland pact for her re-
lations with Germany. This, how
ever, the German government must
deny. The Rhineland pact had for
its aim the securing of peace in
western Europe by having Germany
on one hand, and France and Bel
GUM on the other, renounce in their
relations for all future times, the
application of military force.
Resigned to Limitations"
"If. at the conclusion of this pact,
certain exceptions from this renun-
citation of war were permitted be-
yond the right of self defense, for
political reasons, these exceptions,
as generally known, were solely that
France previously had undertaken
obligations toward Czechoslovakia
and Poland, which did not want to
make sacrifices to the idea of the
safeguarding of absolute peace in
the west. Germany, on account OF
a clear conscience, then resigned
herself to these limitations of the
renunciat ton of war.
ut did not object to agreements
with Czechoslovakia and Poland
which the French representatives
laid down on the table at Locarno,
but did so under the logical presup-
position that these agreements were
adapted to the construction of the
Rhineland pact and did not contain
any provisions retreating from Art
icle XVI of the League as foreseen
in the new Franco-Soviet pact.
With this, the content of these
agreements as then made known,
the German government has COM
piled.
The exceptions permitted by the
Rhinelander pact have not been
specifically attempted for Poland
and Czechoslovakia, but have been
formulated rather abstractedly
However, the meaning of all the
negotiations in this respect was
solely to IND compromise be-
tween the Franco-German renun-
citation of war and the desire on
the part of France to maintain it's
already existing treaty obligations.
destroyed Rhine Pact"
IF, therefore, France now turns
to its own purposes the abstract
formulation of possibilities of war
provided by the Rhine pact in
order to conclude a new alliance
against Germany with highly
armed military state, and so, even
farther and in such definite fash
ion, restricts the scope of the re-
nunciation of war agreed to be-
tween France and Germany, and
where she, thereby, as above ex-
planned, does not even stay within
formal legal limits, she created an
entirely new situation that de-
stroyed the political system bf the
Rhine pact in theory as well as in
fact.