September 3rd, 1939.
1*0*8*9.
sir,
I have the honour under inatruetione
from Hia Majesty's Principal Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs to inform you that the
following declaration has bean made on behalf of
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom
and the French Governmentt»
*        The Governments of the United \
"Kingdom and France solemnly and publicly
"affirm their intention should a war be
"forced upon them to conduct hostilities
"with a firm desire to afire the civilian
"population and to preserve in every way
"possible those monuments of human achieve*
"ment which are treasured In all civilized
"countries*   In this spirit they have
"welcomed with deep satisfaction President
"Roosevelt1 s appeal on the subject of
"bombing from the air*   Fully sympathising
"with the humanitarian sentiments by
"which that appeal was inspired they have
"replied to it in similar terms. They had
"indeed some time ago aent explicit
"instructions to the commanders of their
"armed force* prohibiting the bombardment
"whether from the air, or the sea. or by
Artillery/
The Honourable
Cordeli Hull,
Secretary of State of the United States,
Washington, D.C*
-8-
"artillery on land of any except strictly
"military objectives in the narrowest sense
"of the word*   Bombardment by artillery on
"land will exclude objectives which have no
"strictly defined military importance} in
"particular large urban areas situated
"outside the battle Bone* They will further*
"more make every effort to avoid the
"destruction of localities or buildings
"which are of value to civilization. As
"regards the use of naval forces, including
"submarines, the two governments will a bide
"strictly by the rules laid down in the
"submarine protocol of 1996 which have been
"accepted by nearly all civilized nations*
".Further they will only employ their aircraft
"against merchant shipping at sea in conformity
"with the recognised rules applicable to tie
"exercise of maritime belligerent rights by
"warships* Finally, the two allied governments
"reaffirm their intention to abide by the
"terms of the Geneva Protocol of 1925 pro*
"hiblting the use in war of asphyxiating or
"poisonous or ether gases and of bacteriological
"methods of warfare*
fl An enquiry will be addressed to the
"German Government as to whether they are
"prepared to give an assurance to the same
"effect.
"iV
* It will *f course be understood
"that Id the event of tba enemy net observing
•any of the restrictions which the Govern-
"raents of the TJnited Kingdon and Trance
"have thus Imposed oo the operations of
"thai* armed forces these governments reserve
"the right to take all such action as they
"nay consider appropriate".
I have the honour to be,
with the highest eonslderatlM*
Tour most obedient,
humble servant,
(80ft) LOTCIAH.