A TRIBUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 85, 10 April 1926, Page 7

A TRIBUTE

BIRMINGHAM'S NEW FREEMAN

SIB AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN.

\ (Frqfti Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, 24th February.

Sir Austen Chamberlain, M.P., was yestercfay enrolled -freeman of his native city of Birmingham, in recognition vof his "eminent services rendered to civilisation and the cause of peace" at Locarno. It is nearly 40-years since a similar honour was conferred; upon Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, who was the first freeman enrolled in Birmingham.

At Locarno, said the Lord Mayor, in presenting the Freedom, Sir Austen had accomplished . something which , had earned the approval of his fellow-citi-zens and had madp a contribution which was appreciated by all the nations of the world. The casket containing the freedom scroll was dominated by a beautifully wroiight winged figure of peace. . THE LOCARNO TREATY.

' In acknowledgment: of the honour, Sir Austen recalled that his father was made a freeman when he came back from a mission of peace at which ho had signed a. public agreement which for many years covered amicably our relations with the United States in a matter which had been one of constant contention between Canada, the United States, and the British Government. To recoricile the conflicting interests of nations, Sir Austen • continued, to evolve the common factor out of diverse ■ temperaments and varying traditions, -was :a task which at any time must tax the highest functions of statesmanship. \lf these great questions of international peace and goodwill were made subsidiary to party differences, he knew not how any man could succeed there or in any other city. The path to Locarno was not easy. It took months of careful preparation and intricate negotiation to bring about the meeting, and it took broad-minded men' of generous spirit to bring the meeting to a successful issue. They were there as representatives each of their own people,' with a special point of view and special interest to protect, but'if there had been nothing more than that, there-would have been no agreement. It needed a broader European mind to bring so many nations, lately enemies, into friendly and peaceful accord. (Cheers.)

..'•,•■ ' 'BUT A BEGINNING.'' '•'What we did at Locarno was, but a beginning," Sir Austen continued. "Do 110° be discouraged if progress _,• is sometimes slow and interrupted, if at moments you hear again the old angry voices, and you see rising again around you the old suspicions. You cannot change everything in a day; you can but do day by day the measure of work which is appointed for you, and happy you may feel if at the conclusion of the day you have accomplished so much. But the road before us is a long one; the disappointments will be many. At this moment in almost every country, perhaps in every country that was at Locarno ■ and in many countries that were not there, controversy breaks out about the consequences of Germany entering the League, and about the future composition of the Council when she takes her place there. These controversies evoke far too much of the old pre-Locaiyio spirit. , "For my part, I am convinced that if the same men who met at Locarno could meet and discuss these problems may I say in these days of open diplomacy without any listeners-in — (laughter)—we should presently bo able to appear in public expressing, it might still be, the same difference of opinion, but a difference which had not prevented our arriving at a common agreement upon tho point which had then and there to be practically dealt with. I beg for patience and endurance on what may be a hard path, and, above all, for faith, and where we have succeeded so'far we shall yet succeed, for faith removes mountains." (Cheers.) Sir .' usten paid a high tribute to the work of members of the Civil . Servicu at Locarno, and, in conclusion, snid, "When I come to be judged upon my. public life I ask to be judged by two things, both of them efforts for peace, namely, tho part I took in the Irish Treaty an* the part I took in the Treaty of Locarno." (Cheers.)