Evening star., 1924-06-26
HERR|OT TO OFFER
BERLIN PEACE PACT
Will Propose Mutual Guaran-
tee Treaty to Heal Age
Long Breach.
MACDONALD CONCURS
New Chapter Seen in European
History if New Premier Sue
ceeds in Purpose.
BY NORMAN ANGEL.

By Cable 10 The Star and New York World
LONDON. June 26.-After the i'm
portant conversations of Premier
Edouard Herriot of France and Prime
Minister J. Ramsay Macdonald OF
England 1 had a long hours talk
with NJ. Herriot-a talk which on
the instant became informal, even in
innate.
Perhaps his pipe, frequently filled
and his large cup of coffee-and the
fact that he happened to have read,
really read, certain books of mine
and discussed them in detail-had
something to do with it.
i am still under the influence of
the surprises of this talk and the
creates, hope which has so far illu-
mined five years of almost un-
broken pessimism.
Sees New Chapter In History.
If this man and Mr.. Macdonald
both live-in the political sense
they may, between them, open for US
a new chapter in Europe's history.
1t was with more than a little skep-
to see NJ. Herriot. French statesmen
in the past have shown SO large a
capacity for combining grandiloquent
phrases about France and Europe,
France and civilization, France and
humanity, with such narrowly ma
tionalistic' and reactionary policies.
that l feared that any general state
ment, however sincere in itself, could
hardly have much significance: and
know, of course. that in the present
fluid state of things, discussion of
details could not go very far.
Yet there was just. the hope that an
outline of some principle or policy
clearly marking a new method and
spirit, repudiating those which have
devastated Europe in these last years,
might serve as a guide.
Speaks With Freedom.
1 warned Mr.. Herriot that l came
as a journalist. and would write of
his views; but he spoke with an ap-
parently complete freedom from the
fear of indiscretion, a. candor and
simplicity very rare in politics.
He began by paying a warm and en-
thusiastic tribute to Mr.. Macdonald.
II felt, Immediately I met him.
said the French premier, that this
was a man with whom l could work.
Certainly the phrase about moral CO.
operation with him, which we issued
to the press, is no mere diplomatic
politeness."
NJ. Herriot reminded me that he,
too, i'm the years before the war. had
been a pacifist member of a pacifist
organization.
Hopes War Was Last.
Il realize" he said, what war means
to France, what another war would
mean. Yet peace is at present a child
in it's cradle. How shall we nourish
and bring it up? Large abstract
theories will not do. Here STANDS
France right in the track of what
has been, let us hope, the last OF the
barbarian invaSions."
He spoke for a time as French
man who had suffered at the hanos
of the invader, almost in the tone
of a nationalist.
1T Is difficult to be Philosophical
lard. Yet / am ready to set ASIDE ola
animosities If that will lead US to a
better time.
my first act on coming to power
was to libsrate the Ruhr and Rhine
land prisoners, to permit the return
man nress-how astonishing are those
peopie-hardly so much as noticed
this act, which was not done without
difficulty"
Security Denied.
After certain. "reminiscences of the
Numbering clumsiness of German di-
plomacy, he went on:
Let us face the situation as 1t
bears upon this central fact of
Franco-German conflict. You know
the history of our search for some
sort of security. At the settlement we
were promised an Anglo-American
guarantee. On the strength of that
promise we surrendered claims to
things which many in France re-
garded as much more certain means
Of security.
well, you know what happened
lContinued on. PAGE 3, Column ~ !,