THE COUNCIL OF FOUR


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Appendix II
Prelim~inary Draft of a Reply to Herr Brockdorff-Rantzau
12 MAr.
SIR: I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of May 10th 7in regard to International Labour Legislation. The
reply of the Allied and Associated Governments is as follows:-
1. Article 427 indicates clearly that the enumeration of principles
set forth in Part XIII is not exhaustive. The purpose of the organi-
sation set up by that part of the Treaty is that it should pursue the
constant development of the International Labour Regime. All the
necessary improvements will be brought about through that
organisation.
2. The Labour Convention has been inserted in the Treaty of Peace
and Germany will therefore be called on to sign it. In the future.
the right of your country to participate in the organisation created
by Article 387 will be determined by the situation of Germany in
respect of the League of Nations, that situation being defined -by
Article I of the Treaty and by the reply sent on May 10th by the
Allied and Associated Governments to your letter dated 9th of the
same month.
3. It has not been thought necessary to summon for the present
a Labour Conference at Versailles. The conclusions of the Syndical
Conference at Berne have been studied with the closest attention.
Representatives of the Syndicates have taken part in the preparation
of the Articles relating to Labour. As appears, moreover, from the
Annex to Section II of Part XIII, (page 200) the programme of
the first session of the Conference, which will be held at Washington
as soon as the Treaty comes into force, already comprises the ma-
jority of the questions raised at the Syndical Conference at Berne.
The Allied and Associated Governments are therefore of the opinion
that their decisions give satisfaction to the anxiety which the German
Delegation professes for social justice, and ensure the realisation of
the reforms which the working-classes have more than ever the right
to hope for after the cruel trial to which the world has been subjected
during the last five years.
'Appendix I. supra.