SPIRIT OF PEACE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16376, 25 June 1927, Page 5

SPIRIT OF PEACE

- DESIRED BY GERMANY A SPIRITED STATEMENT (F.lcc Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (N.Z., and A.P.A.. and Sun.} BERLIN, Juno 23. "I ask France whether the spirit of war is to stay for ever, or will the spirit of peace prevail. All nations desiring peace have the right to ask the question, as all bear responsibility," said Dr. Stresemann. in the Reichstag, replying to M. Poincare's speech at Luneville. "M. Poincare's policy," ho said, "must be either Ruhr or Locarno; it cannot be both. Germany is ready to grasp the hand stretched out in a spirit of conciliation, not the hand a conqueror offers. No responsible German would be sufficiently criminal to instigate war against the Powers of either East or West. The present German Government lias repudiated , the idea of revenge; it now only wants the, restoration of German sovereignty. The settlement of Franco-German relations will not be come nearer by digging up ancient history. M. Poincare's references to France's desire for good relations will find strong echo in Germany."

Dr. Stiesemann pointed out that M. Poincare's reproach that Germany possessed a warship named Alsace was incomprehensible, as that, vessel was built in 1903. and had been specially left Germany by'the Versailles Treaty. Germany had disarmed to nakedness. Out of 100 questions relating to military clauses of the Versailles Treaty, only two were unsettled. This, with the Locarno reduction of troops in the Rhineland, was not proof of goodwill to Germany, but fulfilment of the Locarno Treaty. If France's promises were not kept, there was a danger that other promises would not he fulfilled It was a question of the honesty of the co-signatories. Germany could not wait till German public opinion lost patience on the matter. He added that no effort had been made at Geneva to persuade Germany to act against Russia. Germany could not co-operate with other Powers in disputes with the Soviet. Dr. Stresemann expressed confidence that Germany would in September be given a seat* on the Mandates Commission in accordance with the decision of tho League Council.

PREPARED UTTERANCE SUPPORTED BY CABINET (Tli© Times.) LONDON, June 27. The Times' Berlin correspondent says Dr. Streseirann's speech to a greater degree than usual was the prepared utterance of Cabinet rather than the personal views of the Foreign Minister. Dr. Stresemann had previously lengthily conferred with the coalition parties, resulting in Dr. Haas, Centrist leader, reading a joint declaration expressing disappointment at the standstill in the Locarno policy, adding that if M. Poincare's speech dominated the French policy the hopes of Franco-German cooperation must be abandoned, and the work of Locarno wonld collapse.