AGREEMENT REACHED

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 15 October 1925, Page 5

AGREEMENT REACHED

PEACE OF EUROPE.

SECURITY PACT COMPLETED. COLOGNE TO BE EVACUATED. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. LONDON, Oct. 14. News received in London enables The Times to state that the security pact negotiations have been completed. It is expected the signing will be undertaken on October 16. The Locarno correspondent of The Times says: ‘‘The negotiations were completed only by restricting the pact to the strictest limit. All attempts at overloading were firmlv resisted. The underlying principles have been that the pact shall be the simplest possible instrument 1 for the preservation of peace and the status quo in the west, while providing a path for the future settlement of other difficulties. “It is understood that the formula making Article 16 palatable to Germany will not be included in the pact, hut will take the form of an independent declaration by the signatories to the pact, thereby safeguarding the League’s prerogatives. “It is foreshadowed that once the pact is signed Britain is likely to evacuate Cologne under satisfactory evidence of German disarmament, while France may be expected to agree to a reduction in her armies of occupation.”

CONCESSIONS TO GERMANY.

HER ENTRY INTO THE LEAGUE

ARBITRATION CLAUSES

LONDON, Oct. 14. f All accounts from Locarno agree that ' the terms of the western security pact are settled. The only obstacle is the concession Germany is demanding as the price of settlement. It is regarded as most probable, however, that the pact will be initialled or signed on Friday, which is the sixty-third birthday of the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Austen Chamberlain). The French are insistent that the signatures shall actually be affixed. M. Briand, the Foreign Minister, declared -tlia/t lie was prepared -fco remain at Locarno indefinitely, and unless the pact was signed there it would perhaps never be signed. The Locarno correspondent of the Morning Post gives the main points of the pact. The preamble declares that the signatories pledge themselves not to make war against each other, to which Germany has agreed as far as the west is concerned, but steadfastly Tefuses a similar pledge relating to her eastern neighbours. The signatories nledge themselves to bring any or all judicial disputes arising among themselves Before The Hague world court or a mutually acceotable conciliation board, whose members shall consist of one national of each country with a third neutral. If these agencies are unable to effect conciliation or a solution i then the dispute will be referred to the League. The signatories pledge themselves to respect existing treaties. The famous article referring to Germany’s admission to the League merely states: “Germany will join the League of Nations.” 1

The assurances; given by Dr. Streeemann (German Foreign Minister) regarding Article 16 are, of course, outside the pact. The document affirmed that the status of Italy and Britain as far as the western treaty is concerned is similar and' identical, and the signatories equally guarantee the Belgian and French arbitration treaties with Germany. The correspondent adds: “A docu- *■ ment was presented in Berlin in which the Allied delegation affirmed that they were not authorised to promise special treatment to Germany as far as Article 16 is concerned, but they undertake to use their good offices to secure special recognition here of the geographical situation. Having secured one written undertaking, the Germans are now seeking another covering a number of concessions, the most important of which are the removal of the restrictions on airship and dirigible building activities and similar privileges regarding the crippled aviation industry. Other demands relate to the early evacuation of Cologne and the Saar,. “Dr. Stresemann and Dr. Luther emphasise the necessity of a written document in Order to placate the Nationalists and public opinion. The Germans. moreover, argue that succeeding Allied Governments might not recognise the verbal promises of the present delegation as binding. 3VT. Briand, on the contrary, steadfastly opposed written pledges. This is the position at present.” The Locarno correspondent of ' the Daily Express repeats the rumour that a colonial mandate is among the concessions to Germany, and adds : “It is understood that th© eastern treaties cannot possibly be completed at Locarno, though the main work on them has been successfully carried out.”

PARIS, Oct. 13. The Locarno conference met for an hour and a half this afternoon, and examined the proposed arbitration treaties, also the question of Germany’s eastern frontier. Several points were referred back to the experts for further consideration.