Treaties of Alliance

Report Outline
American Projects for Security Alliances
The United States and Foreign Alliances
Departure from Traditional Policy in World War Ii
Treaties of Alliance in the Postwar World
Discussion of American Alliance with Great Britain

American Projects for Security Alliances

Adjournment for one month of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers left in suspense not only the peace settlements with Italy and the Danubian countries, which had been the main purpose of the parley, but the proposal of Secretary of State Byrnes that the great powers jointly guarantee the disarmament of Germany and Japan. The Byrnes project was given only cursory consideration at Paris, and no action was taken on another Byrnes proposal that special deputies be appointed to begin work on a final German settlement for submission to a general conference next November. In his radio report to the nation, May 20, Secretary Byrnes said he would renew that proposal when the Council reconvenes June 15.

German Problem and European Peace Settlement

Drafting of the Italian and eastern European treaties will still be the principal business before the foreign ministers at that time. But in the coming sessions more extensive consideration doubtless will be given to German questions. In fact, if the current deadlock on the other treaties persists, it may be necessary to lay them aside temporarily and seek at least preliminary agreement on some of the basic problems involved in the German settlement. It has been suggested that failure to tackle that subject first is largely responsible for the troubles encountered to date. For the opinion is widely held that agreement on the future of Germany is the key to a general European peace settlement.

The importance of a firm guarantee against revival of Germany's warmaking potential is underlined by the very fact that it is the United States government which has suggested a big-power arrangement to provide such a guarantee. No principle of American foreign policy has been more steeped in tradition than the rule against “entangling foreign alliances.” Yet the administration has felt it necessary to propose that this country enter into treaties which would be tantamount to military alliances.