NEW ERA DAWNING

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 19 October 1925, Page 5

NEW ERA DAWNING

PEACE IN EUROPE.

MOMENTOUS DOCUMENTS INITIALLED BY DELEGATES. BY CABLE— PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT. LONDON, Oct. 17. The Western Europe security pact has been initialled as a treaty between Germany, Belgium, Eran.ee, Britain and Italy. Arbitration conventions have been drawn up between Germany and Belgium, Germany and France, Germany and Poland, and Germany and Czechoslovakia.

Separate agreements have been concluded between Prance, Poland and Czeeho-Slovakia arising out of the foregoing and will in due course be deposited with the League of Nations. The pact treaty iand all the other documents will be signed in London on December 1.

The proceedings wound up with cordial speeches by Mr Austen Chamberlain (Britain), M. Briand (Prance), Signor Mussolini (Italy), and Dr. Stresemann (Germany). The lastnamed joyfully greeted the great development of the idea of European peace, and hoped the treaties would mark the beginning of a period of common co-operation among the nations.

DELEGATES DISPLAY CORDIALITY SAID IT WITH FLOWERS. LONDON, Oct. 17. It is stated the documents will be published simultaneously in all capitals on Tuesday morning. This decision was reached at the request of the Germans "in order to enable them to give the necessary explanation to the Government and the public.” It is announced that after the documents have been-signed an extraordinary assembly of the League of Nations will follow at Geneva on December 15 for the admission of Germany to the League of Nations. After the initialling eloquent speeches were delivered. Dr Stresemann declared on behalf of Germany that he .adhered without reserve to the various decisions arrived at.

M. Briand (France) thanked Dr Stresemann for his attitude, and said Prance would 1 show her appreciation. He declared.he would be lacking in a spirit of justice if he failed to- recall and salute an act of courage wherein lay the origin, of the conference, namely, Dr Stresemann’s memorandum to the French Government of February 9. Between France and Germany there were still points of friction, and the pact must be ointment for such wounds.

Mr Chamberlain (Britain), M. Van dervelder (Belgium) and Signor Mussolini (Italy) also spoke.

M. -Briand then thanked. Mr Chamberlain, and said that although he was not named as president of the conference he in reality acted as such.

The final scenes in Locarno were dramatic. The historic town was specially decorated and thousands- of people gathered in front of the conference hall. M. Rollin appeared holding up the treaty to public view, whereupon there was a great outburst of enthusiasm.

M. Briand and Dr Luther (Germany) camp, to the window and shook hands in full view of the crowd. They then called Mr Chamberlain, who was greatly . elieered. Earlier m the day Mr Chamberlain, had been serenaded by a band in/ celebration, of his birthday, .and a little girl dressed in the Swiss national costume presented a basket of orchids on, behalf of the, Mayor. A crowd assembled in front of the hotel, and Mr Chamberlain and his wife appeared on the balcony and bowed acknowledgement. Masses of flowers came from Dr Luther, Signor Mussolini and others.

Mr Chamberlain, answering a question, by the Daily Express correspondent, said the British commitment did not overstep his parliamentary declarations of policy. An eleventh hour attempt by the Germans to secure a written guarantee of the evacuation of Cologne on a specific date failed. The Allies were adamant and held to the previous arrangement to evacuate after the ratification of the pact. The Polish question has been cleared up, but the manner is nob disclosed. The Poles, however, say the British delegates saved the situation. A BEAL SAFEGUARD FRENCH OPINION. LONDON PRESS COMMENT. LONDON, Oct. 17. French feeling, as reflected in the newspapers, is that the pact may be a real safeguard against war, but France must guard against German attempts to secure compensation for adherence to the pact.

Berlin comment is restrained pending the publication of the documents, but the Vossiche Zeitung says the people of Europe have advanced a further step towards peace. Most of the London papers withhold their comment pending receipt of details. The Times says: “The little town of Locarno, beautiful among the mountains at the northern end of Lago Maggiore, has now its assured place in history. The' worst of the long travail is over. Storm-tossed and disillusioned by the startling contrast between brilliant hopes and incredibly sordid experience, the peoples are vaguely incredulous of real, certain peace. The ■shadows of that incredulity, that prolonged disillusionment, may linger a little while, but the light of a new dawn is at last breaking upon, the world.. The treaty of Locarno is a genuine treaty, of peace.” . . The Times adds that the- profound significance of the Locarno meeting is that the chief belligerents in war solemnly bound themselves to make the maintenance of peace, in Europe an affair of their mutual honour, and adds: “The war is over at last and something new is beginning. There have been petty, timorous suggestions, that by committing the country to a guarantee. of peace on the most dangerous frontier in Europe the Government may be pledging the rising generation to a new war in the uncertain future. The suggestion is ridiculous. For us to abandon Europe would be to call down upon our own, heads the dangers of many indefinite conflicts into which we m ight suddenly be plunged. The only •alternative was to pledge ourselves, to joint endeavour to keep peace. We were in the war and we are definitely in the. peace, to our own lianpiness and to the relief of Europe.” The Daily Mail says: “The point which has. struck the British people is that the bitterest intrigues against the

treaty have been from the, Soviet representatives, but fortunately they have beasi without success. The desire of the Bolsheviks is to keep Europe in a state of turmoil, unrest and confusion, and thus promote anarchy and revolution. The Daily Herald says it would be foolish to conceal, even at the moment of congratulation, a suspicion that one of the aims of British diplomacy in Locarno has been the isolation of the Soviet union and is confirmation by a solid bloc of European States.. The Herald adds: “If that suspicion is not justified, if there is no mental reservation in the profession of pacificism, then the pact will be, a substantial gain.”

HOPE FOB THE FUTURE EVENT OF GREATEST IMPORTANCE. NEW YORK, Oct. 17. There is a probability of a disarmament conference following the; Locarno agreement, according to Sir Esme Howard, British. Ambassador, who arrived to-day to resume his post at Washington. He said: “There is now hope for the future. There will be a restoration of confidence, with France and Germany together with a gain on an amicable basis.” President Coolidge regards the 1 Locarno treaty as an indication of remarkable progress and an event of the greatest importance to the world. The President believes it' will enable similar agreements to be reached on other important European questions, and. thus lead to disarmament. In liis opinion it would go far towards insuring the success of the disarmament conference, such as he had planned to call last spring.