^{page 496 note 1} Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (agreed Anglo-American translation), Department of State Publication 3526 (European and British Commonwealth Series 8). An English text based on a translation issued by the U. S. Military Government in Germany appeared in the New York Times of May 9, 1949, pp. 6-8. An authentic German text is reproduced in the Munich Süddeutsche Zeitung of May 9, 1949, pp. 1-4.

^{page 496 note 2} The final article of the Grundgesetz declares : “This Basic Law shall become invalid on the day when a constitution adopted in a free decision by the German people comes into force.” It is noteworthy that throughout the text a clear distinction is kept between the Grundgesetz and the future constitution (Verfassung). This does not impute any lack of validity to the Bonn instrument, but clearly reserves for the future document the dignity of being a “constitution.”