WAR!

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1857, 4 September 1923, Page 5

WAR!

tt&LY AND GREECE. (Press Association.—Copyright.) Athens, September 2.

A sinister development has occurred in the quarrel between Italy and Greece.

Italy has occupied Corfu, after a five*hour bombardment, of which she gave no ultimatum to Greece.

The Greeks were taken by surprise, and the Italian fleet landed 5000 troops.

Italy’s action has caused the greatest surprise in diplomatic circles, and is viewed with grave concern by Britain, who was one of the guarantors of Corfu’s neutrality under the Treaty of 1864, and will lead to serious European complications. Relations between the* two countries have been strained for some time, but they culminated in the massacre of an Italian party whose mission was to mark out the frontier between Greece and Albania, Apparently a unit of the Italian fleet shelled Corfu before the ultimatum was annonced. Greek citizens were killed. Italy has announced that she will refuse to accept the decision of the League of Nations in the matter. London, September 2. Official circles in London consider that Italy’s action is a grave breach of international law, as under the Treaty of 1864 it was agreed that the islands of Corfu and Paxo should enjoy perpetual neutrality. Newspaper comment on the situation likens it .to that created by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy by its ultimatum to Serbia, causing the world-wide war.

Britain will strenuously support Greece’s contention that the matter should be referred to the League of Nations, and has already sent notice to that effect to the British delegate at Geneva.

French newspaper opinion is on very much the same lines as those of the British. Corfu is the largest of the lonian Isles, and has a population of 100,000. The chief port where the Italians landed is called by the same name, and has a population of 20,000. From 1815 till 1865 it was a British Protectorate, since when it was handed over to Greece.

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. FRANCE NOT ENTHUSIASTIC. (Press Association—Copyright.) Received 11 a.m.) London, September 3. The Geneva correspondent of the Times says that two important points emerge from the Greek appeal to the League of Nations Council. Firstly, Italy knew that Greece had submitted the dispute to the League before ordering the occupation of Corfu, thus Italy’s action was a direct challenge to the League. Secondly, Greece 'has not demanded the application of sanctions to Italy for a breach of the League Covenant under Article 16, but left it for the Council to apply the sanctions if the appeal is sustained. The Council summarily rejected the Italian contention that the matter did not concern the Council, Mr Branting declaring that Italy’s claim would establish an intolerable precedent.

A Frenchman, M. Hanotaux, significantly remarked that the settlement of the Danzig dispute instanced the League’s pacific usefulness. The British delegates were merely of the opinion that the Council was obliged to act, though Lord Robert Cecil later unofficially made it clear that the British delegates would do all in their power to insist on the question being left in the League’s hands. The Greek appeal is ostensibly adjourned to allow the Italians to present papers, but really is to give the Council time to communicate to Rome the Council's grave view of Italy’s action.

The Paris correspondent of the Times says that a writer in the Journal des Debats was probably right when he says advances issued to official circles amounts to “Hush, do not criticise the Italian Cabinet, We have friends there who may furnish useful support on the reparations business.” Semi-offidial -reports from Rome show appreciation of the French attitude; nevertheless there is a growing disposition to welcome a solution of the problem from, the League of Nations, without abating the condemnation of the abominable murder. GERMANY’S VIEW. The Times’ Berlin correspondent says Germany is mainly interested in the crisis for two reasons. Firstly, she may learn what sort of justice is to be expected from the League; secondly, a disturbance of the balance of power ip the Near East may re-act to Germa'ny’s benefit by inducing France to reduce the Ruhr commitments, but this hope is in no way generally shared, as many fear the liberation of the Ruhr by such a method would prove dead sea fruit.