LONDON AGREEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19258, 23 August 1924, Page 9

LONDON AGREEMENT

STATEMENT BY M. HERRIOT EVACUATION CONCESSIONS. FRANCE SAVES THE CONFERENCE. Pres. Association—By Telegraph—Copyrigns PARIS, August 21. (Received Aug. 22, at 5.5 p.m.) The Chamber was packed when M. Herriot made a statement on the London Conference. The Premier said that the Conference was only tfie first stage towards real peace. Tho agreement, which marked the beginning of a now era did not diminish the guarantee and security ensured to Franco under tho Treaty of Versailles. The consequences would bo grave if the agreement were repudiated. The policy regarding the Ruhr had dominated the negotiations, and though he had refused to allow the Ruhr to be included in the Conference it had been impossible for him to eliminate the problem ; —all the more so because there were the strongest reasons for thinking that if France remained in the Ruhr she would remain absolutely alone. M. Herriot said that it was a choice between tho reestablishment of the Inter-Allied Entente and tho maintainence of isolated action.

The French Government, he continued, had neglected no opportunity of bringing up the question of Inter-Allied debts, but it was impossible to join the discussion of debts with the discussion on the execution of the Dawes plan. Debts and the question of security would bo discussed at a special conference later, but he had obtained an agreement that the evacuation of the Cologne zone would not be contemplated until Germany had satisfied her treaty obligations, including the disarmament conference, which came to a deadlock on July 26. He claimed that France had saved the conference, the failure of which had seemed possible, by proposing arbitration as a solution,—Reuter. A MIXED RECEPTION. COMMUNIST DEMONSTRATION. PARIS, August 21. (Received August 22, at 8 p.m.) M. Herriot’s speech was applauded by tho Left, and was greeted with laughter and protests by the Right, and noisy interruptions by the Communists, who subsequently violently demonstrated on the amnesty question, compelling the President to susjiend the sitting. M. Herriot strongly opposed a motion by M. Bokanowski in favour of adjourning the discussion until a committee had reported upon the plans, and the motion was rejected by 320 votes to 209. A Communist motion, was rejected by 359 votes to 26.—Router. OPERATION OF DAWES PLAN. THE GERMAN ARRANGEMENTS. BERLIN, August 21. The Federal Council adopted all the Bills for putting into operation the Dawes plan.—Reuter.