PROBLEM AT GENEVA

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 199, 20 May 1931, Page 9

PROBLEM AT GENEVA

Austro-German Union

SEEKING AN OPINION

British Delegate’s Motion

FOUR NATIONS SUPPORT

Official Wireless. Bllgby> May 18 At the League of Nations Council at Geneva to-day the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Arthur Henderson, proposed that the question of the legality of the muchdiscussed German-Austrian Customs Union under the existing treaties should be referred to the Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague, and that an advisory opinion be requested.

Under Mr. Henderson’s resolution the point to be decided by t’ e World Council will be: “Would the proposed Customs Union between Germany and Austria be compatible with Article 88 cf the Saint Germain Treaty and with the Austrian Protocol sir- at Geneva in 1922” A vote on the resolution will be taken to-morrow,' but to-day it was supported by Austria, Germany, France, and Italy.

The two first-named countries agreed to suspend for the time being their negotiations regarding the Customs Union.

HENDERSON DUBIOUS

Conference Chairmanship

London, May 18.

The “Daily Telegraph’s” Geneva correspondent says that to-morrow’s meeting of the League Council will unanimously Invite Mr. Henderson to take the chairmanship of the Disarmament Conference.

Mr. Henderson is dubious of accepting the honour in view of the possibility of his own Government losing office during the Conference, which will last six months. \