LEAGUE ASSEMBLY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 11

LEAGUE ASSEMBLY

TODAY'S MEETING

PREPARATIONS FOR ACTION

AN ITALIAN PKOTEST

I (Britlali Official Wireless.) (Received October 9, 11.40 a.m.; HUGBY, October 8. There was great activity at Geneva I today following yesterday's momentous decision of the League Council that Italy had resorted to war against Ethiopia in disregard of her covenants under Article 12. Preparations are being made for the resumed meeting of the Assembly, which will open at 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. The unanimous adoption by the Council of the report of the Committee of Six, which definitely concluded that Italy had resorted tb war iij disregard of its covenants under Article 12, marks an important phase in the League action in reference to the crisis. Thei decision brings Article 16 of the Covenant into operation, for that article provides that any Member of the League which so acts is deemed ipso facto to have committed an act of war against all the Members of the League. These Members undertake by Article 16 to,reply with economic, financial, and legal measures. It now becomes the duty of the Members to determine the nature and extent of these measures,, and for this purpose it is understood a co-ordinating committee of the League Assembly, will be set up when that body meets at ! Geneva tomorrow. The composition of the co-ordinating committee was much discussed in Geneva today, and the general assumption is that it will include ' members of the Council, with Isrobably eigtit or- twelve representatives of other Members of the League. It is also suggested that non-Members of the League, including the United States, Germany, Japan, and Brazil may be invited to take part in the work of this, committee for co-ordinating measures to be taken against Italy. FORMS OF MEASURES BEING EXAMINED. The head of the British delegation, Mr. Anthony Eden, had a conversation with the French Premier (M. Laval), with Dr. Benes, Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia, who is President of the Assembly, and with the Spanish delegate, Senor de Madariaga, who was chairman of the Committee of Five and of the Conimittee of Thirteen, and is spoken of as the possible chairman of the committee to co-ordinate the measures to be undertaken by the League members in fulfilment of their obligations. Experts on the Secretariat of the League and in the delegations of the States members are busy examining various forms which these measures might take. There was no further meeting of the Council today, but the Italian delegate delivered a note protesting against the Council's refusal to adjourn yesterday, and concluding: "I regret that this violation of-the most elementary rules of procedure should have been adopted for the first time by the League of Nations in respect of my country. I make all possible reservations for the future as to the decisions of my Government on this subject." SAFEXV FOR LEGATIONS. Members of the diplomatic and consular body at Addis Ababa have decided-to send identical telegrams to their respective Governments asking them to obtain assurances from the Italian Government that neither Addis Ababa, where there is a foreign p6pulation of 6000 persons, nor Diredawa, whsre there are 200 foreigners, would be attacked from the air. The Powers displomatically represented at the capital of Ethiopia are Great Britain, France, Germany, United States, Belgium, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey. The Italian Minister, whose departure is imminent, did not attend the meeting.