LEAGUE COUNCIL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 44, 21 January 1936, Page 2

LEAGUE COUNCIL

AN ANXIOUS PERIOD

FOR BRITISH MINISTERS. REQUEST FOR SPEED. (United Press Association--By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received January 21, 9.30 a.m. LONDON, Jan. 20. The Associated Press special Geneva correspondent states that the ninetieth League Council opened its private session to-day with His Majesty’s illness seriously concerning Mr S. M. Bruce and Mr R. A. Eden, each of whom is prepared to •return to London at the shortest notice if events require• their presence. Their col leagues, would doubtless acquiesce in a brief adjournment of the meeting. Mr Bruce, at the outset, asked the Council, over which he presided, Lo complete the work as quickly as possible iu view of the King’s grave illness. When the public session opened, Air Bruce took the chair and paid a tribute to the late .Mr Arthur Menderson.

Mr Eden. M. Laval, and the representatives of Russia, Spain, and other countries also eulogised Ins work lor peace. The Council received a- report from Mr Scan Lester (High Commissioner for Danzig), detailing unconstitutional Nazi acts in Danzig, including the persecution of the Jewish, Catholic, and Socialist minorities,_ and the suppression of newspapers, indicating an intensive campaign Lo create a Nazi State, despite the rulings of the League Council.

The Committee of Thirteen meets this afternoon in order to expedite the proceedings and will consider the Ethiopian demand for an inquiry into the Italian methods of warfare, also the Note that there are no means at present of settling the dispute.

REPLY TO COMBATANTS

BY LEAGUE COMMITTEE

Received January 21. 10.50 a.m. GENEVA, Jan. 20. , Signor Mussolini has sent a letter 1 to the President of the International Red Cross promising that Italy will [ do its utmost to prevent the further 3 bombing of Red Cross units, and requesting that a delegation ho sent to the front to see how the Red Cross regulations are applied by both sides The Committee of Thirteen, meeting privately, considered the appeal from Abyssinia for financial assistance, also the request to investigate the bombing of Red Cross units and other alleged Italian violations of international conventions. 1 The Committee of Thirteen decided that at the moment it was impossible i to make any further effort at concilia-! tion and that it was not desirable to appoint a commission to inquire into . the conduct of the war, also that it \ was impossible to give financial assis- , tance to Abyssinia. ! ?' Tt was further decided that sanctions \ were a matter for the Committee of Eighteen and left it to the President to convene the Committee of Eighteen whenever lie considered it proper. The Committee of Eighteen has been summoned for to-morrow and is to appoint a committee of experts to study the oil embargo, thus shelving the question.

IMPORTANT AGENDA

MR EDENS PRESENCE,

(British Official Wireless.)

Received January 21, 11.20 a.m.

RUGBY, Jan. 20.

The Foreign Minister (Mr R. A. Eden) is the head of the British delegation which arrived at Geneva this morning for the meeting of the League Council, which has before it a heavy agenda. The more urgent aspects of the war in Abvssinia as they affect the League are likely to be dealt with in private conversations between the Ministers, the formal sessions being devoted mainly to a survey of the steps already taken and the possibilities of future action. Italy will be represented at the Council meetings by Baron Aloisi, who arrived at Geneva yesterday. A Geneva report states that it is probable that the Committee of Eighteen will appoint a small subcommittee. which will be charged to make an enquiry into the effect of any United States decision reached that would affect the supply of oil to Italy. As far as the general agenda of the Council is concerned the most important subject for consideration is that of the Free City of Danzig. The British Charge D’Affaires in Rome has informed the Italian Foreign Office that the British Red Cross ambulance originally intended for service on the Ognden front has been diverted to Dessie, where it is now established. The Charge D’Affaires explained that the Italian Government ' were being notified of this change of plan on the assumption that, following on the recent unfortunate incidents, the Italian Government would be glad to know the exact location of this Red Cross unit in case such information was not already in the possession of the Italian military authorities. Mr Eden attended the meeting of the Council to-day. It was his first appearance at the Council as Foreign Secretary. This afternoon the Committee of Thirteen met in connection with the Italo-Abyssinian dispute and will report to the Council to-morrow. The Committee of Eighteen, which derives its power from the Co-ordinating Committee of 52 States which have taken action under Article 16 of the Covenant in connection with the Italian resort to war in East Africa, may, it is understood, meet on Wednesday.