MOVEMENT FOR PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19960, 31 May 1928, Page 11

MOVEMENT FOR PEACE.

NEGOTIATIONS OF POWERS. IMPRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT. COOLIDGE ON SITUATION. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received May 30. 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 29. Standing on one of the most sanguinary battlegrounds of the American civil war, namely, the field of Gettysburg, the President, Mr. Coolidge, spoke at the Memorial Day celebration. Ho expressed his earnest hope that the negotiations initiated by the American Government for the outlawry of war might be crowned with success. He referred to the proposal made in 1927 by the French Foreign Minister, M. Briand, that France and the United States should sign a treaty condemning recourse to war and renouncing it, as an instrument of national policy in their mutual relations. Mr. Coolidge said that in the 11 months which had since elapsed thai suggestion had been developed into one of the most impressive peace movements the world had ever seen. The United States had accepted the principle underlying M. Briand's suggestion, and also had advocated its extension so as to include within the scope of the proposed treaty not only Franco and the United States, but also Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and any other nations of the world which might care to join with those six Powers in a common renunciation of war. Not only had the idea of a multilateral treaty for the renunciation of war been endorsed by public opinion in America and abroad, but the Governments themselves had approached the matter with an interest and a sympathy which were most encouraging. War meant the application of force. Peace meant the application of reason. War was complete lawlessness. Peace was the rule of law, and the principal effort of civilisation after all was to bring the world under obedience to the law. NOTES TO THE POWERS. DEFINITE PACT PROPOSAL. FORECAST OF THE DRAFT. Australian and .N.Z. Press Association. May 30, 6.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON. May 29.. Definite proposals to the world Powers that they shall subscribe to a multilateral treaty renouncing war are expected to be made by the Secretary of Stat6, Mr. F. B. Kellogg, in identic Notes. These are now under preparation, and are likely to be forwarded to tho various Foreign Offices next week. It is understood that the Notes will set forth the draft of treaty to which it is believed the Powers can subscribe. According to an authoritative forecast the draft will be drawn up to meet the fundamental idea of Mr. Kellogg for a simple, unqualified renunciation of war, and at tho same time to conform to the point of view of the Powers as expressed in the diplomatic exchanges recently conducted. Notes will be sent to Britain and her' Dominions, to France, Italy, and to Japan. It is intimated that Mr. Kellogg will disclose in the Notes that he has found the nations generally in accord with his proposition and will invite adherence to the treaty on that basis. It is generally assumed that the draft will contain two safeguards, one assuring the right of self-defence and the other guaranteeing such peace pacts as those of Locarno and the League of Nations against abridgement. , The disposition of Mr. Kellogg will be to leave the language of his ' original draft treaty unchanged, so that its two articles will set forth a clear, unqualified renunciation of war, with interpretations left to other devices.