§ 38. Mr. BOTTOMLEYasked the Prime Minister whether the rejection of the Peace Treaty by the united States Senate in any way affects the tripartite guarantee to France against future German aggression; and, if so, whether His Majesty's Government proposes to withdraw from such guarantee, thus leaving our Ally without the proposed protection?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Treaty between France and the United States is a separate instrument, which, so far as I am aware, has not been accepted or rejected by the United States Senate. There is no question of His Majesty's Government withdrawing from the joint guarantee to France, but should the United States Senate decide not to ratify the Treaty, a new situation would be created, which would demand further consideration.
Lieut.-Colonel C. LOWTHERMay I ask if the attention of the Prime Minister has been drawn to the speech made last Thursday by M. Barthou on this very 866 subject, and does he not, without justification, charge the Prime Minister with a gross departure from the original Peace Treaties?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would rather not say. That speech, however, was repudiated, not merely by the French Prime Minister, but, as far as I can make out, by the vast majority of the French people. We all make speeches that, I daresay, we wish we had not made; and, as far as indications go, M. Barthou himself is very sorry indeed that he ever said what he did.