SIGNING OF THE PACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19218, 6 January 1926, Page 11

SIGNING OF THE PACT.

AN HISTORIC GATHERING. MEN OF SEVEN NATKIfJS. A TRIUMPH FOR SIR AUSTEN. FILM CAMERAS HARD AT WORK. I | " I can now lovo and bring up my children knowing that they will not he victims of war." These words, written by a mother to M. Briand, were repeated by him at the signing of the Locarno Treaty. They struck a very human note in the ceremonial. The following is a pen picture of the historic event from a London paper: The signing of the Treaty of Locarno at the Toroign Office was rather sombre as to externals, but though all were in black, the promise of peace extolled by the delegates of Britain. France, Germany, and four other nations, seemed more sincere than was the case when, in 1913, another Peace Treaty was signed, in the much more brilliant Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. Overnight, the portrait of King George, which usually hangs in the House of Lords, had been brought into the room. The only other portrait was that of Lord Castlereagh. the Foreign Secretary, who represented Great Britain at the Congress of Vienna after the Napoleonic Wars and dominated them at Vienna to nearly the extent which Sir Austen Chamberlain achieved at Locarno. The rest was simplicity in brown and gilt, tables covered with plain cloths, blotters, pads and red leather chairs. The only incisive note came from the dais upon which film cameras stood upon tripods, and from the scaffolding of rough wood high up in a corner, over which tho operator of flood light negligently dangled his legs. Behind Sir Austen's Chair. Cabinet Ministers, Ambassadors, Dominion High Commissioners, officials and j women relatives of the distinguished com- j pany—all of it in mourning—had waited ten minutes before the delegates appeared. Lord Balfour was alone by a window, Mr. Churchill. Mr. Amery, Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Mr. Neville Chamberlain and other Ministers formed a group behind Sir Austen Chamberlain's chair. Meanwhile, Lady Chamberlain was kept busy acknowledging the congratulations of Mrs. Baldwin and others on her new honour, and Mr. Churchill took Sir Austen's son under his wing beneath the Castlereagh portrait. The flood lights suddenly made the assembly blink, and the film cameras whirred as M. Briand and Dr. Luther, the German Chancellor, led the arrival of the -signatories. Herr Stresemann, looking more than ever like the portrait which Mr. Augustus John painted last year, followed with Signer Scialoja. and amid the band of later arrivals Sir Austen Chamberlain was hardly noticed. Ho exchanged a quick smile with Lady Chamberlain, bowed to the delegates already at tho largo table, and laughed at a whispered remark from the Prime Minister, who was seated on his left. 1 ' Messieurs I'' —tho "Welcome. But it was Sir Austen's ceremony in particular, and ho was not allowed to remain unassuming. He kept the assembly's respectful attention from the moment when he began tho ceremony with the " Messieurs " preliminary to a speech in precise, well-enunciated French, welcoming the delegates on behalf of the King. This he followed with a personal welf. me from Mr. Baldwin and himself, and with a peroration —still in French —that emphasised Great Britain's resolve to do everything possible to spare future generations the unliappiness and destruction which all present had known in their lifetime. Meanwhile the film cameras were grinding like so many dentist's drills, and when Dr. Luther, who next had the oar of the table, started to read in German from his notes, Sir Austen had to lean | forward and put one hand behind his ear. Dr. Luther was halting and uncertain at first, but his voice gamed strength as | he reciprocated, " From the bottom of my heart,". Sir Austen's fervent desire for peace, and demanded a banishment of mistrust. "* He, like the ■ rest of the speakers, thanked the Foreign Secretary for his splendid work at Locarno; and it was noticeable that he referred to the chairman. not as the " Mr. Chamberlain " of yesterday, but as the " Sir Austen Chamberlain " of to-day. Sir Austen Puts on Spectacles. All except the Foreign Secretary and Rignor Scsaloja (who had brought a quill) use'"?, the wooden pen-holders from Iho table. When Sir Austen's turn came he permitted himself his single gesture of the jnorning. He removed his eyeglass, put on a pair of heavy tortoiseshell spectacles, and applied with a flourish the decorative pen in vermeil (mixture of gold and silver) which tho members of the British delegation to Locarno had presented to him. Pact proper having been dealt with, four other officials jumped up and look, to the various signatories, the Treaties of Arbitration between Franco and Germany, Belgium and Germany, Poland and Germany, and Germany arid Czechoslovakia, all hound in the national colours of the respective nations. Dr. Luther and Herr Stresemann occupied five minutes with careful calligraphv. The scaffolding lights were again dimmed when ibis was over, and the freling of solemnity was relaxed. M. Briand and Dr. Luther leaned toward each other from opposito sides of the table and talked with informal animation. M. Briand pounded on the table; he waved his arms; he laughed aloud at a iok'3 from M, Benes; ho turned and rallied Sir Austen Chamberlain when the latter removed tho spectacles and replaced the monocle. Sir Austen grinned find shook his forefinger. " The Conference is Over." Locarno now being accomplished _ history the signatories set about explaining their hopes of what it would achieve. None spoke for longer than six minutes, but all were ardent. Suitably, it was Sir Austen who declared the proceedings closed. He was tending he announced, a telegram from them nil to the municipality of Locarno, thanking it for the hospitality which had contributed to the making of Europe's Pact of Peace. Then; " Geptlemon, the conference is bvr." \nd the last incident oi an historic morning having been applied to his honour the 'Mayor of Locarno, nine European Ministers rose with nine im-portantly-used pens, and there was a decorous scramble between Dr. Luther, M. Briand and Signor Scialoja to be the first to shake hands with Sir Austen Chamberlain.