LOCARNO PACT SIGNED

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1925, Page 5

LOCARNO PACT SIGNED

SCENES IN LONDON.

TRIUMPH OF GOODWILL.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, November 30.

The signatures to the Locarno Treaties will be made by the plenipotentiaries sitting around a rectangular table in the Foreign jOlfice reception room, which before the war, was used for diplomatic receptions. Mr Baldwin and' Sir A. Chamberlain will sign for Britain. ' Behind the plenipotentiaries around the table, will be diplomats representing t’he signatory Powers, British Ambassadors, and Ambassadors from Paris, Berlin, Brussels, also members of the Cabinet, and the Dominions’ High Commissioners. The Treaties drawn up at Locarno were typewritten. The final drafts, signed by the plenipotent’aries, were bound in an imposing cover, and sewn together with ribbon of Locarno’s heraldic colours, blue and red, and then sealed up with Locarno's ■ity seals. The treaties have since been printed and carefully checked by •very Foreign Office concerned, anti later printed on special treaty paper. Crowds at Victoria Station witness ,-d the arrival of Dx- Stresemann and Dr Luther (Germany), and M. Vandervelde (Belgium). They were most cordially welcomed by Sir A. ■Chamberlain, and were driven to, their hotels. Later, M. Briand (France) and M. Benes (Czecho Slovakia) arrived, and ’hey walked arm in arm with . Sir A. Chamberlain to their motor cars The “Daily Ma : l” states tlvß extraordinary precautions were taken to piai'd the German delegates on arrival at Victoria' Station. ■ Their carriage was slipped outside the station and was shunted to, a special olatform, where Sir A. Chambeiflain ind others welcomed Drs Stresemann and Luther.

M. Briand, in a statement, said: — “This is a most important step in the life of the nations. There;’must Se a new starting point for FrancoGerman collaboration. I will also take up with Mi- Churchill; the question of the settlement of France’s ,vai- debt, to which the French Cabinet is determined to find a solution. LATER. The Locarno Pact has been signed.

DOMINIONS CONSULTED

LONDON, November 30.

Captain Garro Jones asked if any of ‘'the Dominion Governirientg had sent any communications regarding the Locarno agreement.

Mr Amery (Dominion-Secretary) ie>lied t'hat communications were now vassing, and it would be premature 'o make a statement.

IMPORTANCE OF DECISION.

FELT BY SIGNATORIES.

LONDON, December 1.

The Locarno Pact; has been signed with almost whispered, benediction and felicitations. There was no denying the solemnity of the occasion. Indeed, there was a strong restraint on everyone, as'if overawed by the momentous ichievement. Even the glamour of the famous gilded room in the Foreign Office, alternatively illuminated by the uckly December sun, or a blaze of six huge flood lights, under which cinematographers worked, failed to thaw ;he strict official atmosphere, and there was the piqriant fact, that in the handsome vaulted ceiling, studded with mythological characters and symbols, the figure of Mars looked down on the very spot where Sir A. Chamberlain initiated an epoch-making hour of peace. But it was a mere circumstance of placing, just as was the fact that Saturn glowered over the dais upon which 200 international journalists sat with a battery of cinematograph's and cameras on the •platform overhead.

The delegates were seated at a blue table in the . same order as they sat at Locarno. There was only one speech in English ; this was Mr Baldwin’s, at the close of the ceremony. The rest were in French, with the exception of the Germans, who both spoke in the high pitched mother tongue, but ill spoke as if in conversation across the table.

The only touches of vigour supplied were when M. Briand. speaking direct to Dr Luther and Dr Stresemahn, pictured the spectre of France’s sacrifices, and breathed a fervent hope that Locarno would render a repetition impossible, and Ur Stresemann’s equally lofty assent to the new spirit of world concord. This, drew a muffled chorus of bravos from the Press dais.

Sir A. Chamberlain was obviously' delighted ait Dr Stresemanp.’s graceful reference to his and Lady.Cham'oenlain’s influence at Locarno. Sir A. Chamberlain looked round, beamingly smiled, and bowed to his wife. M. Briand was the orator of the morning, but it was not the usual impassioned Briand. Everybody seemed determined that the new page in history should not be made strident in tone ; in. fact, Signor Scialoja and M. Benes inaudibly whispered their few phrases of re-kindled hope. All the beaming and congratulations came to an end with an orgy of hand-shaking among members of the diplomatic corps, who fringed the historic table, near the foot of which were the Dominion representatives, including Sir J. Cook and Sir J. Allw. Mr Baldwin remarked that he and Sir A. Chamberlain both signed to show the importance with which the Ministry regarded the document, further proof of which was the presence of every member of the Cabinet, with Earl Balfour sitting nearby, among ladies, nodding his approval. ~ At the close there was an eager desire , to see the famous Pact, with its scroll of rich blue ribbon, held in place by seven huge red seals, with the signatories of the seven nations opposite according to alphabetical order in the French vocabulary. Thus, Alleniagne (Germany) came first. Poland, Czecho-Slovakia. signed only the supplementary -documents with France, while Sir A. . Chaipberlain presented Dr Luther with the Four declaration on Article Sixteen. THE CHIEF SPEAKERS. MESSAGE FROM THE KING. LONDON, December 1. In his speech at the signing of the Locarno Pact, Sir A. Chamberlain said he was convinced the treaty marked the commencement of a greater work of reconciliation, and that everybody was ready for even greater efforts in the future. M. Briand said that the occasion was the proudest in his long political

life. He was convinced it marked the commencement of a new era of peace. . Dr ’Luther said that this was a memorable day in the history of Europe and of the world. J After the signature, M. Briand assured Dr Luther that in speaking, as he had done, he, remained a good Frenchman ( j list as Dr Luther, in coming here, remained a good Gorman, “but both, of us are Europeans'.” Dr Stresemann said that nothing could serve a greater purpose in these days than the spirit of goodwill evoked by the Locarno Treaty. Mr Baldwin said he was confident it was thq firm intention of all. the nations represented, as ‘it was of his' Majesty’s Government, to carry out scrupulously and loyally .the solemn obligations they riad, undertaken. large crowd flanked the battery of photographers' gathered' in Downing ■Street to witness the . arrival of the delegates /to sign in the golden reception room at tile Foreign Office the treaty of Mutual Guarantee, which is the official title of the Locarno Pact. There was a rush when the Germans' arrived and some raising of hats, but no other demonstration. The diplomatic representatives of the signatory Powers, the British Ambas.adors to Paris, Berlin and, Brussels, members of the Cabinet, High Commissioners for the Dominions, wex'e accorded seats at the ceremony, which was cinematographed. The signing of the historic Pact began at 11.25 and was completed at 11.38 a.m. Besides the Treaty of Locarno, signatures' were, also affixed to the arbitration treaties and conventions, which were initialled at Locarno.

Punctually at 11 o’clock, an official clapped hands, arc .lights were turned on, and cameras began to vffiirr. Sir A. Chamberlain read in French a message from the King, regretting cnat the sad loss prevented him iron* celebrating the occasion, as he could have wished to do, but . expressing it as his “dearest that the great' work of appeasement and reconciliation will provide a foundation for sincere friendship the sevei-al nations. ’ ’

FOREIGN SECRETARY’S REWARD

LONDON, December 1. The newspaper® applaud the honour of Knight of the Garter being awarded to Sir Ausjlen Chamberlain. It had been surmised that, -I like his father, he would be averse to’ a title. Most people, predicted that ,he would accept the Order of Merit, but this conferring of the Garter is acclaimed as a fitting recognition of his 'highminded course at the Locarno Confereri'ce,, while that given his wife, Dame Ivy Chamberlain, is a .happy remembrance of her birthday outing with the delegates on the motor yacht oh which the Locarno Pact was really achieved. As a< wife of a Knight of the Garter takes precedence over a Dame of the Grand Cross, Mrs. Chamberlain will probably be known as Lady Chamberlain. * WAR CRIMINALS REPRIEVED. BERLIN, November •- The Belgian Legation announces Hi at the Belgian Government has deeded to discontinue the triads of alleged war criminals, owing' to difficulty of conducting them after the lapse of so. many years, and heavy expense, and because after the Locarno Conference, such trials are an unceasing obstacle to the desired improvement in Belgo-German , relations.