LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 168, 15 June 1927, Page 12

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

OPENING SESSION, LESS MEETINGS SUGGESTED. GENEVA, Juno 14. The session of the Council of the League of Nations has opened, Sir Austen Chamberlain presiding. Sir Austen was the first to arrive at the Palais de Nations and was quickly followed by M. Briand, Dr. Stresemann, Baron Ishii, and M. Yandervelde. The number of foreign secretaries present was seven, giving point to the first subject broached, namely, the question raised by Sir Austen Chamberlain last session whether the session oi the council should be reduced from four to three a year. Sir Eric Drummon, SecretaryGeneral, reported that there was no administrative difficulty. He suggested January, May and September as the most convenient. Sir Austen Chamberlain thought that all were'agreed that the presence of foreign Ministers enhanced the council’s prestige, and enabled decisions to he reached more rapidly, but he and his colleagues found it difficult to leave their posts four times a year. His suggestion appeared to have aroused needless and foolisli anxiety and suspicion. He would never make any proposal calculated to impair the authority and usefulness of the council. He suggested that the decision be deferred until September, because they must have the support of both the council and the assembly.

This was agreed to. Sitting privately, tire council considered the cost of the recent Economic Conference, upon which it is understood a sum of about half a million gold francs was spent. No donation had yet been received from the United States or the Soviet Governments. M. Briand spent an hour with Dr. Stresemann discussing tire evacuation of French troops from Germany. M. Zale.ski, in conference with the Press 1 , said the Soviet Note appeared to offer a basis for a peaceful solution with Poland. The Polish Government already had accepted three demands. which were in full conformity with the Polish laws.

The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says the question has arisen whether the council should not consider the attitude of the Geneva Conference to the Soviet in the light of Moscow's latest deeds. The Soviet, though a non-member, Iras been encouraged to send representatives to the League Conferences, hut in the present conditions the League owes it to itself to decide whether participation can continue to be pressed upon a nonmember which has so _ clearly shown that it does not recognise the practice of normal Statehood. The correspondent learns that the accentuated coolness in Italian and Russian relations is likely to lead to developments at no distant date. —A. and N.Z. cable.