LEADERS IN PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19509, 13 December 1926, Page 11

LEADERS IN PEACE.

THE NOBEIi PRIZE AWARDS. BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY GENERAL DAWES HONOURED. FORMER ENEMIES UNITED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. OSLO, Dec. 10. The Nobel Peace Prize for 1925 has been awarded to Sir Austen Chamberlain, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and General Charles Dawes, the American who presided over tho committee of experts which framed the historic report regarding the restoration of Germany's finances. The Nobel Peace Prize for 1926 has been awarded to M. Briand, French foreign Minister, and Herr Strcsemann, German Foreign Minister. ihe awards were announced at an imposing ceremony. There was, a national representative gathering, including the King and the Crown Prince.

Dr. F, Nansen, in a speech, said the Dawes plan first brought light to darkest Europe after the war, while the initiative of tho Locarno Pact came from Dr. Luther, Herr Stresemann and Sir Austen Chamberlain. M. Briand contributed most largely to tho conclusion of the Rhjne Treaty, which introduced a new spirit into the relations of former adversaries, eliminating the Rhine as a cause of conflict in European politics.

Sir Austen Chamberlain, now perhaps more famous than his illustrious father, Joseph Chamberlain, has firmly established his position as one of the leading statesmen of the world. Born in 1863, he has had a most distinguished Parliamentary career. He was Civil Lord of the Admiralty in 1895, and since then has been successively Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 'Postmaster-General, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Conimons, in the various Conservative Administrations. He is member for Birmingham, his father's old constituency. Like him he is known for his monocle and orchid. >

Aristide Brian, like many other French politicians, came to politics from the law. Becoming known through his contributions to political papers, he entered the French Chamber of Deputies and was soon appointed to office, as Minister of Justice, ®of the Interior and other Cabinet positions. He has also previously held office as Minister of Foreign Affairs, in several of the many French Ministries. He is also well known as a publicist.

Charles Gates Dawes is Vice-President of the United States, and is a banker by profession. He is famous, as the man who evolved the scheme, by which Germany is doing,' what many said she could not do, make substantial reparations to the Allies. Under the Dawes scheme, Germany has paid yearly many millions sterling, and has kept the requirements of the plan. Herr Stresemann has had the difficult task of piloting Germany through many rocks and shoals at home and abroad, into the comparative peace of the League of Nations. His able diplomacy and candour when dealing with the- representatives of Germany's late foes, have brought him this success.