447] THE PLEBISCITES IN THE PEACE TREATIES 1 49 



thrown themselves into the arms of France " as into those 

 of a long-lost mother " and that " a treaty founded on the 

 right of self-determination of peoples cannot but take note 

 of a people's will so solemnly proclaimed." 



The German arguments, " based on history and language 

 . . . are formally contested by the Allied and Associated 

 Powers and do not modify their point of view." 



The request for a settlement of the question of nation- 

 ality applying equally and to all the inhabitants and for the 

 right of option for those wishing to make use of it in favor 

 of Germany is rejected. 



By the terms of the Treaty Germany is bound to acknowl- 

 edge and to respect " strictly the independence of Austria, 

 within the frontiers which may be fixed in a Treaty between 

 tha State and the Principal Allied and Associated Powers." 

 Germany agrees "that this independence shall be inalien- 

 able, except with the consent of the Council of the League 

 of Nations." 



Germany responds that she "has never had, and never 

 will have, any intention of shifting the Austro-German 

 frontier by force. But it is admitted that " should the 

 population of Austria, whose history and culture have been 

 most intimately connected with its mother country Ger- 

 many, for more than a thousand years, desire to restore 

 the national connection with Germany, which was but re- 

 cently severed by war, Germany cannot pledge herself to 

 oppose that desire of her German brothers in Austria, as 

 the right of self-determination should apply universally and 

 not only to the disadvantage of Germany." 



To this the Allies reply no more and no less than the 

 following: "The Allied and Associated Powers take note 

 of the declaration in which Germany declares that she 'has 

 never had and never will have the intention of changing by 

 violence the frontier between Germany and Austria.'" 



Article 88 of the Treaty signed on September lo, 1919. 

 between the Principal Allied and Associated Powers and 



