Evening star., 1936-03-15
Text of Flandin's Plea
French Foreign Minister Tells League Council
Reich Action Threatens Return to Old
System of Alliances.

have been freely agreed to and to
which the signatories have assured
special stability.
Since the high contracting parties
are deprived Of the right Of denuncia-
ton, I can only ask the Council to
terminate the treaty If it establishes
that the League Of Nations assures in
other ways sufficient guarantees.
Step Planned for Long Time.
You can have no doubt that this
decision taken by Germany had been
prepared for a long time and that the
argument put forward in support OF
1t Is only pretext chosen from among
others (arguments) which have been
previously considered . but
that does not matter.
I have to repeat that the French
government is willing that the Perma-
nent Court Of The Hague should de-
eide whether the treaty of May 2.
1885, is incompatible with the treaty
Of Locarno.
But 1t Is not only a question OF re-
pudiation of the treaty; we have here
specified violation of article 43 Of the
treaty Of Versailles, violation which
article A qualities as hostile act.
1t was not that reason that at Lo-
carno respect for frontiers and re-
spect for dispositions destined to con-
stitute necessary guarantee for Bel
gium and for France were placed on
the same footing.
Frontier Has Been Violated.
Without doubt no one could have 1t
in mind to consider one and the same
thing a violation Of frontiers and
breach Of the principles Of demilitari-
zation on point Of detail, and dec
laration Of the authors Of the treaty
bear witness to the fact 1t was not
meant to differentiate between the at
tack on national territory and deliber-
ate and en- maSse violation Of the
(demilitarized) zone.
In requesting that the violation
should be recognized the French gov
ernment simply invoked therefore an
application of the law. Once recog-
milton Is given, it will remain for the
guarantors to furnish France and
Belgium with the assistance provided
for In the treaty.
But Frances rights and her special
interests are not alone at stake and
the duties Of the guarantors are not
alone brought forward. 1t is a ques-
ton here. and am speaking particu-
larly to members of the Council who
are not signatories to the Locarno
treaty, Of the interests of peace in
general and I may say Of the exist
ence of the League of Nations itself.
We want to know whether the pro-
cedure of accomplished facts, unilat-
eral reputation Of engagements freely
and solemnly accepted, are going to
be established as a political system IN
Europe, whether treaties shall be con-
sidered as subject to modification sud-
denly and at any moment at the whim
| Of their signatories and whether q
government, in exercise Of its pleni-
potentiary faculties. can annul today
what 1t signed yesterday.
Idea Not Compa tible.
I ask how this method can be rec
onciled with the existence of the
League OF Nations, whose pact de-
clared that in order to develop coop
Grafton between nations and to guar
antee peace and security, stipulationi
Of international law. recognized as an
effective rule Of conduct of govern
ment, must be vigorously observed and
all obligations Of treaties scrupulously
respected.
Is this method compatible with tht
the very idea Of collective security, q
phrase devoid Of meaning If it doe
not express confidence which eacf
associate has in the word of others
the conviction that all associates viii
contribute toward the defense of eact
one Of them against the violation b!
another state of its engagements? L
it Of kind to encourage the conclu