POWERS GATHER

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1935, Page 5

POWERS GATHER

MOMENTOUS DECISION PROCEDURE AT GENEVA PRELIMINARY MEETINGS DEMAND MADE BY LABOUR UPHOLDING OF LEAGUE British Wireless. Rugby, Sept. 3. The heads of the British and French delegations which will attend the momentous League Council meeting to-mor-row on the Abyssinian crisis travelled by. the same train from Paris to Geneva, where they arrived this morning. At a preliminary exchange of views between the two Ministers at Paris Mr. R. A. Eden, Minister in Charge of League Affairs, was accompanied by Sir George Clerk, British Ambassador, and Sir Robert Vansittart, Foreign Office Under-Sec-retary, also Mr. William Strang, Foreign Office adviser on League affairs. M. Laval, French Prime Minister, was accompanied by M. Alexis Leger, Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs. It is understood that the principal subjects discussed were the oil and mineral concession granted by the Emperor of Abyssinia to the American corpora tion, the report prepared by Mr. Eden on the Paris three-Power conversations and the question of procedure at Geneva. Mr. Eden, M. Laval and M. Avenol, the League’s Secretary-General, decided that Italy’s dispute with Abyssinia should be publicly discussed. The French and British proposals, already rejected by Signor Mussolini, still remain open. The Paris conversation is but the first of a series which will be held during the next few days at Geneva. They will have particular reference to the procedure at the Council meeting, for although the form in which the results of the Paris three-Power negotiations are to be reported has not yet been settled this is not expected to present difficulties, and in view of M. Laval’s ready acceptance of the British Government’s entire good faith regarding the Abyssinian concession that matter is' no longer regarded as relevant so far as the issues at Geneva are concerned. CASE FOR EACH PARTY. ' After yesterday’s talk it is considered probable that following the submission of the report on the Paris negotiations the case for Abyssinia will be laid before the Council, and that this will be followed by a statement of Italy’s case. The subsequent procedure will be settled by the Council. The delegates of Britain and France were in joint consultation this morning. A special service of intercession will be hell in Westminster Abbey this evening to ask Divine blessing on the meeting of the League Council and on all efforts to promote peace among the nations. At a meeting at London of the Nile Society, organised on behalf of Abyssinia, Dr. Martin, the Abyssinian Minister at London, said that if the worst came to the worst Ethiopians would rather be under Britain’s just and considerate administration than Italy’s. The General Trades Union Council met at Margate and sent a message to mass meetings at Paris declaring that tne English and French Labour movements unitedly demand that their Government shall at the League uphold all the obligations laid down by the Covenant. This was read at each of four Paris meetings organised by the Committee for the Defence of the Ethiopian Peoples. A resolution was sent to Geneva calling on the League to take sanctions if Italy broke the Covenant. Sir Norman Angell addressed three meetings, asserting that sanctions meant peace and not war and urging AngloFrench co-operation, in the face of which Italy would not provoke military action.

DELEGATES PREPARED MUSSOLINI’S ARGUMENT EIGHT CASES OF PAPERS Rec. 10 p.m. ' Geneva, Sept. 4. All the delegates have arrived for the League Council meeting, including Baron Aloisi (Italy), who brought eight large white wooden cases, carefully roped and sealed, containing documentary and photographic evidence with which Signor Mussolini hopes to convince the Council that Abyssinia is unfit to be a member of the League. It seems that Baron Aloisi’s arguments will be a contradiction of the Fascist Government’s view in 1930, when it took a prominent part in recommending Abyssinia for League membership. Delegates opposed to the Italian designs point to Article 12 of the League Covenant, showing that unsatisfactory relations between States should through League machinery be the occasion for explanatory conciliation and not hostilities. There is no sign in British quarters of retreat from the belief that if Italy rejects wise counsel and insists on conquest the security of every country in Europe will be affected by the destruction of confidence in stability based on signed agreements. It is anticipated that the proceedings will open to-day with a private meeting, followed by a public meeting. Italy is expected to argue that her offensive represents not war but mere policing action.

M. Laval bn his arrival from Paris said the situation appeared more difficult. “I am trying to localise the danger and seeking a policy of the lesser evil,” he added.

“Thirty thousand people demonstrated in front of the Palazzo Venezia, shouting, “To us Abyssinia! Down with the League!” says a cable from Rome. Signor Mussolini, stepping out from the balcony, said gravely: “You must at this moment be specially proud to be Italians.” Then with a Fascist salute he withdrew.