Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-09-05
Sensation Caused at Meeting
of Assembly When Italian
n Representative Made
Announcement
NATIONS BACK LEAGUE
British Representative Asks
That Sections of Covenant
Covering Situation be Read

GENEVA, Sept. (By The Asso-
ciated Press) Italy today chal-
lenged the right of the League of
Nations to intervene in the Greco
italian dispute when her spokesman,
Signor Salandra, declared that the
conflict belonged solely to the
domain of the Inter-Allied Council
Of Ambassadors and did not fall
within the competency of the league.
This announcement created an i'm
rf1ense sensation in the council
chamber, which was crowded, with
many Americans among the specta-
tors.
After reply from NJ. Politis,
former Greek foreign minister up
holding the attitude of his govern
ment, Lord Robert Cecil, of Eng
land, added a further sensation by
insisting that Articles 10, IL and Is
Of the covenant of the League of
Nations should be read Immediately,
(. both in French and in English, and
by declaring that, If these articles
were to be disregarded, the whole
settlement of Europe would be
shaken.
The articles in question were cited
by 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
! lspfixed date, but perhaps tomorrow
order to give the members of
Ke council an opportunity to ex-
Famine the Italian declaration and
decide upon their future attitude in
the crisis, which is generally regard
cd as having been aggravated by
Signor Salandra's pronouncement.
L. Politis remarked that 1t was
for the council to say whether it was
competent to deal with the Greek
affair and not for one of the parties
to the dispute to declare the leagues
Incompetency.
s"If such a point of view was ad-
niitted," asserted the Greek spokes-
man, 'it would mean the definite
ruin of the pact of the league and
~ the international organism which
tlle uact has created because 1t
would always be possible to pretend
for one reason or another that the
pact did not apply to the nations
which were parties to the dispute,
and also that a nation interpreted
the pact differently and that con-
seauently the leagues organism
would not operate.
This would mean that the league
was not to operate for the mainten-
ance of peace" added M. Politis, but
merely a kind of official body effec-
tive only when two parties had
reached an accord"
GENEVA, Sept. 5.-Major Giuri-
ati, the second Italian delegate, ar
rived from Rome last night with
complete instructions from Premier
Mussolini, and was in conference
with Signor Salandra up to the hour
of today's session.
Signor Salandra submitted to the
council a written statement declar-
ing that the Greek commander at
Corfu failed to inform the Italians
before they opened fire that the
fortress sheltered refugees as well
as troops. and failed to send the
refugees to the cellars of the cita-
del when the bombardment began.
He added that the commander of
the Italian fleet had visited the
bundled in the American and Greek
Hospitals and extended them aid.
Geneva is alternately gripped with
hope and apprehension, and con-
tinues to regard the present crisis
as placing the league on trial. The
members of the Little Entente have
decided vigorously to support the po-
sition that the league Is entirely
competent to deal with the crisis.
Many of the other smaller states
hold the same view, and their repre-
gentatives say they are ready to fight
for the cause of the league on the
floor of the assembly.
\ 1t is reported that Paul Hymans.
the Belgian delegate, has received
orders from Brussels to stand solid
lv with England in assuring respect
for tho leagues pact even at the
cost of Italy's withdrawal from the
league.