THE SECURITY PACT

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1925, Page 3

THE SECURITY PACT

[Australia <fc N.Z. Cable Association.]

BRITISH i.EAYINC COUOCNK. I.ONDON, Oet. 22

The Dili I v Impress luhhyisl. stales Cabinet lias agree'l that eight thousand Brit isli troops shall quit Cologne and go to Weisbadon. They hope the tmuster will he completed hy the end of the year.

Arrangements are progressing to make the signing of the Treaty ot Locarno in London on December Ist. the occasion of celebrations. The City Corporation derided yesterday to hold '* reception at the (itiildhall. iollouing the signing. The Crime .Ministers and Foreign Secretaries ol the Cowers "’ll he invited. Speakers emphasised a desire for I lie assoriation ot the ojity with I he historic event.

I ’AC I AND EMPIRE. CttNDtl.N, Oct. 22

Sir Itichard .It!-;*, in ;i striking letter to the “.Morning I'i;*<t'" dealing; with the deliberate excliision of India and ! tin; from llu* Security Part., says: “Hitherto the choice before n Dorn in ion (iovmmifMl nr Parliament when Britain goes to war. was a rimin' between passive or active belligerency. Under the new Part, assuming that a l)f>mi 11 it>ii does not accept it, the choice will be between belligerency in either decree on the one hand, or neutrality. The latter attitude, which is often popularly confused with passive I**l- - is a third-party attitude'. Non-discrimination between belligerents would mean that the Dominions would by bound not. to make a distinction between Britain and her enemy, treating botli alike as regards facilities to carry on the war." If this is the correct interpretation of Clause Nine of the Pact, the new* Treaty provides for the dissolution of the Krnpire in the event of war. Arising from that, for the jirst time, the Dominions’ right to neutrality is recognised, and possibly the official answer will he that it really does not matter, because, hy virtue of the League of Nations Covenant, the Dominions are hound to go to war simultaneously with Britain. Il so, the official view lias changed remarkably since Britain's anxiety to maintain the Kmpire’s diplomatic unity in relation | to Canada’s proposal to appoint a Minister at Washington, and since the Lausanne Treaty, from which the Dominions were m«M significantly not exempted. Thus Locarno seems speedily to have Infilled the warning that i{ you want to start a League ot Nations you will destroy the Krnpire. Some of us would rather have preserved the Krnpire, even at the expense of restricting the scope oi the League. CAPKToWN. Oct. '2'2. Premier lleri/.og refuses to lie interviewed regarding the Security Pact, hut those in close touch with him indicate that, while. Mr HerUog is- definitely of opinion that the Pact makes the world peace, and is undobutodly ii> the interest of the Krnpire, the Union (Jovornment relust* to he drawn into Kuropean commitments, and is unlikely to ask Parliament- to ratify the Treat}' of Locarno.