Evening star., 1923-09-05
At CRISIS
AS|TALY DEF|ES|TS
POWER IN DISPUTE
Sensation Follows Sensation
as Greco.ItaIian Issue Is
HotIy Debated.
EUROPEAN PEACE FACES
STRAIN, DELEGATES HOLD
England Leads Powers in United
Front at Cost of Rome
Withdrawal.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, September 5.-Italy's rep
resentative. NJ. Salandra, told the
council of the league of nations today
that Italy would regard intervention
of the league in the Greco-Italian
crisis as unjustified. The league, he
asserted, had no competency in the
affair, which belonged properly to the
interallied council of ambassadors
1t is reported that Paul Hymans.
| the Belgian delegate. has received
orders from Brussels to stand solidly
with England in assuring respect for
the leagues pact. even at the cost Of
| Italy's withdrawal from the league.
Signor Salandra's statement created
sensation In the council chamber
which had many Americans among
the spectators.
In his address NJ. Politis declared
that the Italian seizure of Corfu was
| entirely unjustified because Italy al
ready possessed doubfe assurances
which were sufficient guarantees
one was the council of ambassadors
and the other the league of nations.
Signor Salandra in the course of his
address said:
Assails Assnssins.
THE brutal assassination OF the
| Italian mission on Greek territory
was not only a fiagrant violation of
| the laws of humanity and the funda-
mental rules of international law, for
which Italy has a right and a duty
| to require just punishment, compen-
sation and moral reparation. but also
an offense without precedent against
! the council of ambassadors. which
| had entrusted the international mis-
sion with the difficult and delicate
| duty of fixing the frontier between
Albania and Greece.
Though the right of Italy is not
dependent on the right of the council
| of ambassadors. the connection be-
| tween the violation of each of these
| rights is evident that Greece has
not denied that 1T exists. Gen. Telliui
and his companions were aSSasSinated
because they formed part of an in
| ternational mission. There is thus
perfect parallel of the interests of
| the conference and the interest OF
! Italy
| Honor Involved.
THE assassins. however, chose
these officers for their victims because
they were Italians. Violation of the
sanctity of human life, which Italy
must guarantee to her citizens. and
| an offense to the dignity and honor
of the Italian nation, consequently
are added to the violation of Inter
national law.
The council of ambassadors has well
understood that this terrible crime
could not remain unpublished. and If
the news which has been published
is correct, Greece has recognized ITS
responsibility by declaring that 1t
will submit to the decisions of the,
| council Italy, whose rights have
been more seriously offended than
those of the conference, has on her
side claimed punishment of the guilty
and moral and material compensa-
| tion.
| I'm order to secure execution by
! Greece of her obligation. Italy has
| felt obliged to take guarantees which
| are all the more necessary as the in
stability and inferior moral POSITION
! of the Greek government. which mas
| not been recognized by large mum
| her of states, and its present attitude
could not ensure the commences.
which alone would have rendereh
such guarantee superf1uous in the
| circumstances.
"Greece, with great skill, has en-
| deavored to escape its responslDltltles
| nv turning the attention of the pup
i lie and of the League of Nations away
from the crime that has been conf
E; mitted. and by endeavoring to dlrect
attention to the seizure OF a guar
antee.
| 10 10 and IS of the covenant of the
| league of nations should be read I'M
mediately both in French ana IN Eng
| lish, and by declaring that II these
whole settlement OF Europe would be
! shaken.
| Articles Cited by Greece.
! The articles in question were cited
hv Greece as the basis of her appeal
! to the league and stipulate that the
council of the league has clear right
! to an investigation when there is
danger of rupture between any of
the states which are members of the
| league.
| Further discussions of the Greco
italian crisis was adjourned to an
unfxed date but perhaps tomorrow.
| in order to give the members OF the
council an opportunity to examine
the Italian declaration and decide
upon the future attitude in the crisis.
which is generally regarded as hav-
ling been aggravated by Slgnor
SaIandra's pronouncement.
M. Politis remarked that 1t was for
the council to say Whether II was
| affair and not for one of the parties
to the dispute to declare the leagues
| Incompetence. E>
| Would Ruin League.
IF such a point of view was ad-
mitted," asserted the Greek spokes-
man, lit would mean the definite ruin
of the pact of the league and of the
organism which the pact
has created because 1t would always
be possible to pretend for one reason
or another that the pact did not ap-
ply to the nations which were parties
to the dispute, and also that nation
interpreted the pact differently and
that consequently the leagues orr
ganfsm would not operate"
This woulS mean that the league
was not to operate for the main
| tenance of peace" added M Politis.
| hut merely a kind of official body.
effective only when two parties had
| reached an accord
The Italian government expressed
it's irrevocable opinion through him
/ that the council should not accept the
| Greek request that the league take
J up the matter BY her appeal, said
| Signor Salandra, Greece sought to
| escape her responsibilities. He en-
| phasized that the present Greek gov
/ ernment had not yet been recognizes
\ by a great number of countries.
hence the necessity of Italy to seize
Corfu to obtain satisfaction for the
1T1o,tir,,aj -, Doc. fyOi,Irnn A.