THE PEACE PACT.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19400, 28 August 1928, Page 7

THE PEACE PACT.

'£ 9 PACT PASSED. it- •*'***' &• ' WINPON, August 27, 'V t the newspapers devote their '> rf ~tofl»F*acaPact. That feSSely J*"* 1 for Amencan vaetto and nebulous, but if eft/* v »#"** COBjro itment to a ? hS Sbe most hopeW&AI 5 it means that the : R ™wer. lying between strsinfeWt in turmoil, will *Mlhand to render war more has ieie ?} ei \ r .J h j! W* * « M Dd failure on the United J«fuirt%uldwitb difficulty be meau mueh ox &£s&** that « has, or has ifg "JJport of its Amencan WLta Telegraph'' "aye; ''The /f yEtfsome of the Powers, in. WSaffj&W to the text, do SSftSnW international •ifttSK and will bear the Straw #W io ■" ? Jud g e ,'? &3EZ his binding judgments." rSafcHerakJ'' nhme is most gL„4toeilbes it as-a Peace SB* KWT mongers and f nil of

i&C, ARRANGEMENTS. H|iDCABTIKG THE CEREMONY. in official quarE||e United States Secretary the invitation of a Mflfffi aon be£ore t0 for the Renuncia-. an instrument of nation* ffleny distant parts jH£wjg£|§aied' to-morrow afternpon, be carried to London f «i!liiiwwfcs n °^ cla,s ao P e is the event A iISIB 1 the short-wave ex> C I welcome to ii fl«ff9n3fp* etatloneft on shore visitor. An yßffißF" reception will bo \J ag * and B.' series of MfflßP n Brrßn S°d for * ne t°o|^^bs ; ARRIVE. August 26. by receptions d«l«gftte» callipg d'Oraay urst Ckrman disapproving with French two secreForeign Minis* that even

CELEBRATION IN WEU4NGTQN. AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. reus nm amice.] ' WEUINGTQN, August 27. The signing 0 f j» Bftce Treaty was celebrated In Wellington to-day by a united service held jn the Town Hall, Which was erowded. The chair was occupied by the Mayor (Mr G. A. Troup). His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusaon) was present and occupied a seat on tho platform. Amongst those also on the platform were the Prime Minister (Mr Coates), the members of the Government, the Right Eev. Dr. Sprott (Bishop of Wellington), the Moderator of the Wellington Presbytery (the Rev. B. S. Watson), the chairman of the Wellington Methodist District (the B*v. E. D. Patchett), the Eev. F. B t Harry (Baptist Church), Major W. 9, Middlemiss (Salvation Army), and the Bev, E. E. Weeks (Congregational Church). After reading the Treaty the Mayor said: "The occasion and the circuin stances connected with the signing of this document" are unique and mark an epoch in tho promotion of peace and goodwill amongst the nations. While no one can state definitely what the outcome of this effort is going to be, While many have doubted the effectiveness of any pact without means of enforcement, none will deny that it is a grea.t experiment and a bold adventure. In business parlance it would be termed a gentleman's agreement, and behind it will be the great moral force of eight of the most powerful nations of the world. By our presence here to-day we give evidence of our desire to help to make this new instrument effective in promoting peace, We have met to express the desire of this community for peace, and also to create a sentiment that the people will think in terms of peace, so that the will to peace shall subordinate the will to war. We rejoice to know that one of the signa* tories tp this pact will he a New Zea, land representative.^ Mr Coates said that the Treaty was not one following upon victory and the .vanquished- The first suggestion came from M. Briand, of France, who wrote to the United States and asked that a, bi-lateral treaty be entered into by France and the United States. After some delay, what is known as the geb logg Note was issued, which suggested a multi-lateral treaty. "The imports nnco of the Treaty has been emphasis* ed by many," said Mr Coates, "and it baß been signed on behalf of the nations named, The Treaty provides that after the signing to-day it wui be open for other nations to come Jn if they so desire, The Treaty is a simple declaration by all the signatories that they will use every peaceable means of arranging any differences between them." There waß, he sftid, one great thing in connexion with the Treaty which all must recognise, and that was, the ppwer of public opinion l and the wide desire that in future there should be no more wars. The declaration in the Treaty would be recognised by all nations as a sacred trust in the interests of civilisation. Great Britain's policy, savj the Prime Minister, had always been founded on a desire for peace. There was no other nation which had signed bo many arbitration treaties as Britain, and she had always subscribed to, an orderly peaceable method for the set--tiement of international difficulties. A debt of gratitude was dug to Mr Kel; logg and the United States Government in connexion with the signing of . the Treaty;- r The•; Mayor•, riferred/to the Treaty as being a gentleman's agreement. What more powerful instrument could there be > than a gentleman's agreement? It was for toW»o opinion to Bee that everything possible was OQ»e tp maintain that agreement. It was unnecessary for, him tp refer to the tragedy of some .years ago. Re.porjefl that we would always be found subscribing to treaties whioa would make for peace, not only in the Pacific, but throughout the world. (Applause). The Bishop of Wellington (the Eight Rev.. Dr. Sprott) said the event of the day might mark a new chapter in human history, the nations concerned solemnly acknowledging, that the foundations of International relations must henceforward, stand'on a different basis, and instead of regarding each other as potential enemies, nations must regard each other as potential friends. There was a great gulf between this ideal and what actually was, and everyone must uproot deeply-seated notions, One was that war, like earthquakes, was a national calamity over which they bad no control. Such people might as weU sign a pact renouncing earthquakes. There was human'agency actively responsible for either peace or war, There was again the delusion that the pros* neritv of one nation must mean the (Micay of other nations. This must be uprooted/ as also that caricature of p&lotism, national vanity. Two hun, toed years ago it played no appreciable Srt' U politics, bnt to-day t was one 0? thC visible iiseases of politics. True Jatrmtism was which promp> ed a man to render loyal devotion to bi 9 country'B welfare, to private, advantages, and to the MgWt of ideals in the'interests of his country, Such a ■*»*««££ make for-war, but vanity merely strove to make nations stronger and tended to foster the spirit of Jealousy and envy. An interval of a "leuce was solemnly observed. The Natymal Anthem closed an impressive ceremony.

MR COATES'S MESSAGE. "AGE-LONG ASPIRATIONS," (PKBS ABBOOIITMJI TBWMBUI.) WELLINGTON, August 27. The Prime Minister (Bt. Hon. J. G. Cofttes) has thefolloTnngmcssagp to the people of New Zealand m oouwith the signing of tb« Peace Pact in Paris to-day;-We &ffietaL the ,«»» or conflict pac ifi c means, be sought except oy v n No people ofJf e J° r, for peace than a £? A« hSf extended to Britain :„d'her DoSnionT waa accepted and uar iw« by each and all of with en H" B "St/is to be open for s"*»■ Th V !f][the Powers of the B,gn , a^nd y i "eel confident that V ° New *&**" will whole, every New .«*•" F- B Kelheartedly c "^ h f; imp le procedure logK'fl hone that the birtory of two boiOT at '■■>"* ,mw -