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As regards the passage in my note of the 19th May relating to certain regions of which the welfare and integrity constitute a special and vital interest for our peace and safety, I need not repeat that His Majesty's Government in Great Britain accept the new treaty upon the understanding that it does not prejudice their freedom of action in this respect. I am entirely in accord with the views expressed by Mr. Kellogg in his speech of the 28th April that the proposed treaty does not restrict or impair in any way the right of self-defence, as also with his opinion that each State alone is competent to decide when circumstances necessitate recourse to war for that purpose. In the light of the foregoing explanations, His Majesty's Government in Great Britain are glad to join with the United States and with all other Governments similarly disposed in signing a definitive treaty for the renunciation of war in the form transmitted in your note of the 23rd June. They rejoice to be associated with the Government of the United States of America and the other parties to the proposed treaty in a further and signal advance in the outlawry of war. I have, &c., Austen Chamberlain.

No. 18. Note to United States Charge d' Affaires in London of 18th July, 1928. Sir, Foreign Office, 18th July, 1928. In the note which you were so good as to address to me on the 23rd June last you stated that the Government of the United States would be glad to be informed whether His Majesty's Government in New Zealand were willing to join with the United States and other similarly disposed Governments in signing a definitive treaty for the renunciation of war in the form of the draft treaty enclosed in your note. 2. I now beg leave, to inform you that His Majesty's Government in New Zealand desire to associate themselves with the terms of the note which I have had the honour to address to you to-day notifying you of the willingness of His Majesty's Government in Great Britain to sign a multilateral treaty for the renunciation of war as proposed by the Government of the United States. His Majesty's Government in New Zealand desire me to add that they will have the utmost satisfaction, in cooperation with His Majesty's Governments in other parts of the British Empire, in joining with the Government of the United States and with all other Governments similarly disposed in signing a treaty in the form proposed. I have, &c., Axjsten Chamberlain.

No. 19. Note to United States Charge d' Affaires in London of 18th July, 1928. Sir, , Foreign Office, 18th July, 1928. In the note which you were so good as to address to me on the 23rd June last you stated that the Government of the United States would be glad to be informed whether His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia were willing to join with the United States and other similarly disposed Governments in signing a definitive treaty for the renunciation of war in the form of the draft treaty enclosed in your note. 2. I now beg leave to inform you that His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia have given the most careful consideration to your note above mentioned and to the revised draft treaty which accompanied it, and that they accept the assurance given by the United States Secretary of State that the right of self-defence of a signatory State will not be impaired in any way by acceptance of the proposed treaty. 3. The Commonwealth Government have further observed that it is stated in your note of the 23rd June that the preamble to the revised treaty accords express recognition to the principle that, if one signatory State resorts to war in violation of the treaty, the other signatory States will be released from their obligations under the treaty to that State. They accept this declaration that the preamble in this respect is to be taken as a part of the substantive provisions of the treaty itself. 4. They have also particularly examined the draft treaty from the point of view of its relationship to the Covenant of the League of Nations, and in this connection have come to the conclusion that it is not inconsistent with the latter instrument. 5. His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia add that the foregoing are the only questions to which the proposed treaty gives rise in which they are especially interested. As the text of the treaty which has now been submitted is completely satisfactory to them so far as these specific points are concerned, they will be quite agreeable to signing it in its present form. I have, &c., Austen Chamberlain.

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