English Translation

53 Prague, 2nd Sept. 1939. Mr. v.Burgsdorff. It is not clear from the events which draft should be decisive, whether it is the first or the second version, I take a position on the draft as follows: 1) As already expressed in the draft letter to the Wehrmacht authorized officer, the word "Czech" must be omitted in connection with the word 'regierungstruppe'. 2) I have no objection to the replacement of the word "official duties" in the oath formula against the word 'service obligations'. 3) On § 1 paragraph 3 of the draft, I note that there is neither a commander-in-chief of the government force nor a government president. 4) The term "werepower" is a National Socialist term. As a result, there is no Czecho-Slovak army, but at most a Czechoslovak Army. In order to remove the term "the Czechoslovak armed forces" from § 4 of the draft, I recommend that the relevant regulations be reproduced with their official headings. 5) If, in section 3 of the draft, the members of the government force's crew are granted the right to stay in senior civil servants after the completion of the 25-year service period, this means perpetuating the legionary system, Although the system cannot be completely eradicated, it can be weakened by the fact that the above paragraph merely refers to accommodation in civil servants' and employees' posts. I would ask you to take account of the foregoing, as far as is still necessary, in the form which you consider appropriate, of the draft letter to the authorized representative of the Court of Justice.\7