Berthelot, to whom I submitted the unsigned text of the Anglo-Czechoslovak Agreement; and after exchanging views on this subject I suggested that the Quai d’Orsay itself should formulate the draft of an analogous Franco-Czechoslovak Agreement, having special regard to the position of France towards our movement. I emphasized the necessity of clearly formulating in such an agreement, not only our share in the inter-Allied conferences, but also our territorial demands, with a view to securing, if possible, the support of France for them at the coming Peace Conference. Finally, I aimed at arranging for the French Government to grant a formal and public proclamation of the National Council in Paris as the Government of the Czechoslovak State.
Berthelot entrusted the elaboration of the first draft of the agreement to M. Fromageot, the legal expert at the Quai d’Orsay, and to M. Degrand, his secretary, from whom I received it towards the end of August during my stay in London. But before these negotiations had entered on a decisive phase, matters took a new turn which was of great importance to us. This was the proclamation of the United States Government on September 2, 1918, concerning our liberation movement. This declaration defined our precise position among the Allied States, and solemnly confirmed the assurances which we had received from the European Allies:
Washington,
September 2, 1918.
The Czechoslovak peoples having taken up arms against the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires, and having placed in the field organized armies, which are waging war against those Empires under officers of their own nationality and in accordance with the rules and practices of civilized nations, and Czechoslovaks having in the prosecution of their independence in the present war confided the supreme political authority to the Czechoslovak National Council, the Government of the United States recognizes that a state of belligerency exists between the Czechoslovaks thus organized and the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires.
It also recognizes the Czechoslovak National Council as a de facto belligerent Government, clothed with proper authority to direct the military and political affairs of the Czechoslovaks.
The Government of the United States further declares that it is prepared to enter formally into relations with the de facto Government thus recognized for the purpose of prosecuting the war against the common enemy, the Empires of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
