THE CONCLUDING SPEECHES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9431, 31 January 1921, Page 5

THE CONCLUDING SPEECHES.

M. BRIAND AND MR LLOYD I .^ , GEORGE. PARIS, January 29. The Proces Verbal was signed at five o'clock m the evenings The Allies passed a. resolution that they were convinced that close union was as necessary to preservation of the peace as to win the war, and they determined to , allow nothing to impair I?. "Such union " was the surest guarantee of the execu- . tion of treaties. Fidelity to inter- • national engagements agreed to m con- ■ nection therewith was also stressed. ! . M. Briand expressed on behalf of ; France his great appreciation of the ' success of the conference, m which he , was pleased and proud to participate. i He realised that great progress, had |: been made and the conference, m h.-Jv.. ing to carry out the laborious task of solving the problems before them, had rendered service besides to France to mankind at large. They had succeeded by making mutual concessions. He cordially thanked members for the as-sista-nce -given, without which the success would have been nothing like so MStomplete. . . /Mr Lloyd George, responding, said: '.'We indeed have good reason to congratulate ourselves on a remarkable achievement, which was largely due to the admirable way m which M. Briand presided. Although he assumed office only a fortnight ago he has shown the greatest knowledge, skill and ability m guiding the deliberations. It has been my painful duty to criticise what he said on* several occasions, but I did it for his good, and because of my affection for him, and with the good results we now see. 1 thank him most sincerely, also M. Doumer and M. Loucheur, and our other colleagues, who all contributed to the success of a conference so fruitful of future good for Europe."