The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30
SAYS SETTLEMENT
 IF 'GRECO-ITA IAN CRISIS GOOD OMEN
Parliament Member Sees Weakness Of League And
 Also It's Effectiveness
By ARTHUR PoNsoNBY, NJ. F. s Copyright In U. s. A. Published By Arrangement With
 "RcynOId's Newspaper"

Published By Arrangement With 5r "RcynOld's Newspaper"
 LONDON, Sept 29.-The Greco Italian crisis passed from the stage of acute tension and menace of com plete rupture to that of investigation and agreed reparations. The main fact that stands out Is that war has been voided.
 The murder of General Tellini ana it's consequences have shown that ln- cidents of this sort will no longer pc allowed to be regarded as the sole concern of the disputlng natlons' put that international bodies of one klnd or another will take immediate coz 1tizance of them, because 1t is recog- ufzed all over the world that if they are allowed to develop in the atmos- phere of hot blood which naturally prevails on the spot, the results may be catastrophe.
 ,-< In 1912 in the Balkans there were far more serious reasons for Euro pean war than there were in the archduke's murder in 1914. But In f912 a conference was sitting in Lon don, and by the close personal rep resentatives the difficult situation was realt with and conflict avoided:
 In 1914 there was no international body sitting, and the proposal to call one came much too late. A compara- lively minor incident thus became the occasion for European war. we seem to have learned something from this.
 Blames MussO1ini.
 The Greco-Italian dispute might easily have been settled by the powers concerned had it not been for nj exQRRlTate6 mands Italy's attiCude Immediately produced a highly dangerous situa- tfon, The League of Nations Is ob- vtously the body to deal with a mon ace to peace of this description. But the league stands in an unfortunate position:
 1. It is not a league of all nations.
 2. It is hampered and bound by the unjust and impracticable treaty or Versailles.
 3. It's own constitution, powers and procedure are far too cumber- { some and complicated for prompt, speedy and decided action.
 1. Its record Is deplorably bad; its two notable failures have been the prevention of war between Greece and Turkey, and It's failure to intervene in the settlement of the Ruhr problem.
 ssIt is not surprising, therefore, that Signor Mussolini should refuse to all low Italy to be the first suppliant before a tribunal which has proved so lame and ineffective.
 a Nevertheless, with all its short comings, and in voice that was far from authoritative, the league spoke. Fortunately for peace, though per haps not fortunately for the prestige of the league, another international body was in being.
 The council of ambassadors In Paris is the descendant of the Su- preme council. It is true that they represent only some of the allies. But they can meet at any time at 6 moments notice, and in this case they were directly concerned, because the Albanian frontier commission. ot which General Tellini was the head was acting under their instructions Their intervention was accepted by both powers, and at the same time they tactfully kept in touch with the League of Nations.
 Need Permanent Body.
 The moral Is that far greater sim plicity of procedure is what is need ed-a body in perpetual session ready for any emergency. not indulglng III spectacular sessions with rhetorlcai speeches, not hampered by minor :. not necessarily composed of eminent world-renowned statesmen, not even possessed of any special superna tional authority, but body of sensi- ble men simply ready to talk the matter over in an impartial and cool atmosphere of detachment.
 Missolini in his impetuosity seized Corfu and other islands. But the world was watching him. He might have pretended to be master of the situation, but the strands or inter national opinion held him back ana the vigilance of European authority restrained him.
 The upholders of the League or Ma tions, who are far too apt to shirk criticism, will it is hoped, learn a lesson, and turn their attention less to indiscriminate praise of the exist ing body and more to the adoption or reforms and changes which may give 1t the respect the prestige and the authority which al present 1t so sadly lacks.