Klaipėda Convention
The Klaipėda Convention (or Convention concerning the Territory of Memel) was an international agreement between
The region was detached from
The region was granted extensive legislative, judicial, administrative and financial autonomy. It had its own democratically-elected parliament (
Background
The lands north of the
However, such Lithuanian aspirations gained little local or international support. It seemed that the region would be turned into a
On January 24, the
Negotiations
On February 16, 1923, the Conference of Ambassadors relinquished its rights that granted by the Treaty of Versailles and transferred the district over to Lithuania under the condition that a formal international treaty would be signed later.[3] Lithuania accepted the transfer, and negotiations over the treaty began on March 24, 1923. A special commission of the Conference, chaired by the French diplomat Jules Laroche, presented a 50-paragraph project, which reserved extensive rights of the Second Polish Republic to access, use and govern the Port of Klaipėda.[5] That was completely unacceptable to Lithuania, which terminated all diplomatic ties with Poland over a bitter dispute over Vilnius Region. The Lithuanian delegation, led by Ernestas Galvanauskas, responded by presenting its own project, which reserved no rights to Poland, in April 1923.[5]
The negotiations resumed in July, when Laroche presented two other projects, which were very similar to the first. Seeing that the situation had become deadlocked, Lithuanians suggested to turn over the case to the Permanent Court of International Justice, but Laroche preferred the League of Nations.[5] The Conference decided to appeal to the League on the basis of Article 11 of the League Covenant.[6] On December 17, 1923, the League authorized a three-man commission to analyze the situation and prepare a report. The commission was headed by the American diplomat Norman Davis and included the Dutch technical expert on transportation A. G. Kröller and the Swedish professor M. Hoernell.[5] The commission visited Klaipėda, Kaunas and Warsaw[6] and presented a draft treaty on February 18, 1924.
After negotiations with the Lithuanians, the League adopted the convention on March 14, 1924, despite Polish protests. The document was signed by
Content
Date of payment | Total (in gold marks ) |
To France (in francs) |
To Great Britain (in pounds) |
To Italy (in Italian lira) |
---|---|---|---|---|
15 days after signing | 800,000 | 4,725,998 | 90,882 | – |
December 15, 1930 | 1,000,000 | 5,886,873 | 113,180 | 16,273 |
December 15, 1931 | 1,000,000 | 5,907,505 | 113,590 | – |
December 15, 1932 | 1,000,000 | 5,907,505 | 113,590 | – |
The convention had 18 articles. The region was transferred to Lithuania without conditional provisions and granted legislative, judicial, administrative and financial autonomy to preserve "traditional rights and culture of the inhabitants".
The convention included the statute of region and an agreement on port of Klaipėda and transit as an addendum. The statute of Klaipėda Region had 38 articles and was akin to a constitution.[17] It dealt primarily with detailing the level of legislative, judicial, administrative and financial autonomy granted to the region. The autonomy was given in the name of Lithuania, which was a significant Lithuanian diplomatic achievement,[5] and the four international signatories only confirmed it.[17] Matters specifically placed under local authority included public worship and education; local administrative divisions; health and social welfare; roads and public works; civil, criminal, and commercial legislation; local police and taxes (except custom duties).[18] The region had its own legislative body (Memel Landtag), which was elected for a three-year term in free democratic elections.[19] The President of Lithuania appointed a governor of the region.[20] The governor could not veto laws passed the local parliament unless they violated the statute, the Constitution of Lithuania or international agreements.[21] The reasons for a veto did not include laws that were contrary to the interest of Lithuania.[22] The five-member Directorate was appointed by the governor and served as the executive institution as long as it had confidence of the parliament.[21] The governor, in agreement with the Directorate, could dissolve the parliament.[19] The Directorate appointed tribunal judges for life.[23] The Lithuanian and German languages were given equal status as official languages of the region.[23] Amending the statute required a three-fifths majority in the local parliament and could be submitted for approval to a local referendum.[24]
The agreement on port of Klaipėda specified that it was a port of international concern and that the
References
- ^ Eidintas (1999), p. 86
- ^ Eidintas (1999), pp. 89–90
- ^ a b Gerutis (1984), p. 210
- ^ Eidintas (1999), p. 98
- ^ a b c d e f Gliožaitis (2003), p. 189
- ^ a b Gerutis (1984), p. 211
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 87
- ^ Eidintas (1999), p. 99
- ^ Pėteraitis (2003), p. 192
- ^ Gerutis (1984), p. 212
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 91
- ^ a b LNTS (1924) p. 93
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 89
- ^ LNTS (1924) pp. 92–93
- ^ Gerutis (1984), p. 213
- ^ Andriulis (2002), p. 350
- ^ a b Andriulis (2002), p. 347
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 97
- ^ a b LNTS (1924) p. 99
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 95
- ^ a b LNTS (1924) p. 101
- ^ Andriulis (2002), p. 349
- ^ a b LNTS (1924) p. 103
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 107
- ^ a b LNTS (1924) p. 109
- ^ LNTS (1924) p. 113
Sources
- Andriulis, Vytautas; Mindaugas Maksimaitis; Vytautas Pakalniškis; Justinas Sigitas Pečkaitis; Antanas Šenavičius (2002). Lietuvos teisės istorija (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Justitia. ISBN 9986-567-81-5.
- Eidintas, Alfonsas; Vytautas Žalys; Alfred Erich Senn (1999). Lithuania in European Politics: The Years of the First Republic, 1918–1940 (Paperback ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-22458-3.
- Gerutis, Albertas, ed. (1984). Lithuania: 700 Years. translated by Algirdas Budreckis (6th ed.). New York: Manyland Books. LCCN 75-80057.
- Gliožaitis, Algirdas Antanas (2003). "Klaipėdos krašto konvencija". Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. 2. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. ISBN 5-420-01470-X.
- LNTS – League of Nations Treaty Series (1924). Convention concerning the Territory of Memel (PDF). Vol. 29.
- Pėteraitis, Vilius, ed. (2003). "Klaipėdos krašto okupacijos ir administracijos išlaidų atlyginimo protokolas". Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). Vol. 2. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. ISBN 5-420-01470-X.