GREEK APPEAL TO LEAGUE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 10 September 1923, Page 5

GREEK APPEAL TO LEAGUE

DEBATE ON COMPETENCY

GENEVA, Sept. 7. The earlv part of the day was devoted to a conference between the delegates with a view to clearing the ground and seeing what compromise procedure is ad missiblc, if any. All the delegates are awaiting a lead from France, whose delegates are anxious to placate Italy, and vet not jeopardise the French position in the Mediterranean, alienate Belgium, or ignore the Little Entente. The Council of the League met in the .evening. There was great excitement among the spectators, and many police were guarding the doors. Amid tense silence, Baron Ishu opened the meeting of the Council, reading the Note of the Ambassadors' Council on the Italian incident. He demanded that the League should send an answer. Senor Quinones de Lcous, the Spanish delegate, then introduced a draft text to serve as a basis for discussion, in which the Council of the League said it adhered to the principles of international law set out in the Ambassadors' Note. The draft then gave a list of acts of sat isfaction, which should be demanded from Greece, including a full memorial service for the dead in the presence of all the members of the Government; that the Greek fleet should salute tho Italian fleet; that military honours should be given to the bodies of tho dead; a deposit of 50 million lire, and submission of the question of the amount of indemnity payable to the Interna tional Court of Justice.

Signor Salandra, replying, said he regretted that Senor Quinone de Leon's resolution implied an inquiry by the Council of the League. Ho urged that the action of the League was too hasty, and that many of the points could only lie discussed when the Council of Ambassadors had taken a decision. Suppose it proved that Albanians had committed the murder? The whole situation would be changed. He was not opposed to a discussion, but he made all reserves on the question of the competency of the Council of the League. He niam-

tained that the Italian Government has the right to discuss alone with Grceco the question of reparations. M. Hymans (Belgium) said he, could not associate himself with the argument of the League’s incompetence which Signor Salandra had advanced. M. Branting (Sweden) said the position of the council would be strengthened if it was associated with the Conference of Ambassadors. M.. llanotaux (France) suggested that the detailed proposals of the Spanish delegate should be reserved for fuller consideration. Lord Robert Cecil concurred with M. llanotaux, and urged the undesirability of estimating the damages before culpability had been determined. He said there was not the slightest doubt on the part of the B ritish Government that the League was competent to deal with the matter Greece had brought forward. LONDON. Sept. 7. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent states that- the Albanian Government lias sent the Allies an extrordinary intimation that it is refusing to allow an inquiry by the Ambassadors’ Conference into'the circumstances surrounding General Tellini’s murder. The Albanian reply has made the worst possible impression on the members of the Ambassadors’ Conference.

A French diplomat said that if necessary an Allied detachment would be used to compel Albania to respect the proposed Commission of Inquiry. In London the strange incident '.as aroused doubts respecting the natiowil'itv of the murderers; indeed the attitude of Albania vends to confirm the Greek contention that the murderers may have been Albanian bandits on the Greek side of the border.