PLEA FOR LOCARNO TREATY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19264, 1 March 1926, Page 9

PLEA FOR LOCARNO TREATY

BRIAND ON RATIFICATION. ABOLITION OF WAR FEARS. CHAMBER CHEERS SENTIMENTS. BRITAIN'S ACTIONS PRAISED. Bv Telegraph—Preas Association— Copyright. (Received 7.5 p.m.) Renter. PARIS. Feb. 27 Cheers from every part of the Chamber of Deputies greeted an impassioned speech made yesterday by the Premier, M. Briand, in appealing for the ratification of the Treaty of Locarno. M. Briand expressed confidence that this effort for peace would be successful in all countries. The little Locarno seed, he said, was already beginning to germinate. If it were to be crushed he hoped it would not be by a.French foot. Mothers could now look at their children with the hope that they would not be the victims of war. Locarno would have effected much if it achieved only that. France and Germany had both proved their heroism. Both had established magnificent centres of production. Was that all to be given over to fire and the sword every 125 years ? The Premier's thunderous "No," elicited cheers from the entire House. The debate was appropriately marked by most friendly utterances toward Britain. M. Paul Boncour, the French representative on the League of Nations, in opening the proceedings, drew applause from all sides of the House by reminiscently declaring that when neutrality which had been guaranteed by Britain had been violated, Britain had intervened with unsuspected force. Discordant notes were struck by Communist deputy Cachin, who spoke of the "Imperialistic British policy of a group of European nations against the Soviets," also by Colonel Fabry, who criticised the lack of precision in defining Britain's obligations. The latter said the treaty was full of loopholes. The Premier rose. He warmly asked: "When a country like 'Britain placed all her sea, land and air forces at the service of a cause, did that mean nothing? The treaty assures that Britain will stand by France, Italy, Czeeho-Slovakia or Poland in a like event. If we had had that guarantee in 1914 we should not have had war ?" The discussion was adjourned.

WOKLD OUTLOOK.

STRESEMANN'S • VIEWS

LOCARNO AND THE FUTURE. A. and N.Z. LONDON. Feb. 26. The German Foreign Minister, Herr Stresemann, contributes to the series of articles in the Morning Post on the world outlook. He reveals that it. was the London Conference of August, 1924 (from which the Dawes plan emerged), that induced him to issue his memorandum in February, 1925, suggesting a security pact. That in turn led to the Locarno Conference.

Herr Stresemann expresses the opinion that the general psychological significance of Loca<rno is more important than its practical application. " We are standing," he says " at the gate of a new era. If all the nations are animated by goodwill and a desire to continue working together on the basis of Locarno, we jire sure to reach the great goals of the pacification of Europe, and the replacement of political distrust •by mutual eopjidence."