FREEDOM OF LONDON.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 26 March 1926, Page 7

FREEDOM OF LONDON.

GhAMfil) uJ Sail AUSTEN CILAMBERBAIN. THE WORK AT LOCARNO. HI CABLE —PRLoj ASSOCIATION—COa-BRIGHT. Reecived 12.20 p.m. td-day. LONDON, Aiaran 25. Sir Austen Chamberlain has received the freedom of the city. The -Prime Aiinister (Air Stanley Baldwin), Air Winston Churchill, the High Commissioners of the Dominions and of India, and nine Ambassadors were among those present. Sir Austen Chamberlain Avas given an ovation. In his speech he claimed that the work of Locarno emerged not merely unharmed, but strengthened from Geneva. He did not doubt that Avith goodwill the difficulty of reconciling the rights of each democracy in its own country with the spirit of the League would be solved.—Reuter. Sir Austen Chamberlain concluded by saying: ‘ ‘lf anything could make this hour dearer or more precious to me it is the belief that I have followed in the footsteps of my dear father. As a result of the work in Avhich. I haA-e been engaged I haA’e repaid some of the debts I owe to him in a way that would he dearer to his heart.” Mr Baldwin, in proposing Sir Austen Chamberlain’s health, said that as his father’s name is connected with the consolidation of the Empire, so Sir Austen’s name would perpetually have the foremost place in the ranks of those who sought to bring peace to Europe. Nobody had done more to advance the interests of the League of Nations.—Svdnev Sun Cable.

PATH. TO' LOCARNO. LESSONS FROM GENEVA. Received 1.30 p.m. to-day. LONDON, March 25. Sir Austen Chamberlain, in his speech when receiving the Freedom of the City, referring to the Locarno peace pact, reminded liis hearers that two great farseeing German •statesmen took the first step in the path to Locarno. Dealing with the results at the Geneva conference, he said: “X think, during the bitterness of the first disappointment, 1 .used exaggerated language for the event. Though it was unfortunate, it had neither the inevitableness nor the finality of a true tragedy. Such a setback was not surprising, remembering the League’s infancy, but it is only a momentary check, due to exterior circumstances. They should not expect as much from, a young League a.s, they might hope for when it reaches maturity.” He added that foreign affairs which were a mystery formerly and known to but a. few, were now everybody’s business. Democracy’s claims for informatior sometimes clashed with the League’s work.' Unless the rights of democracy were wisely used the result of the Geneva conference might be a, repetition of the old story of irreconcilable claims, instead of opening a new chapter of conciliation. —Sydney Sun Cable.