Evening star., 1923-09-09
AMBASSADORS RULING
HELD MASTERPIECE OF
DIPLOMATIC WISDOM

Bf WILBUR FORREST.
By Cable to The Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright, 1929.
PARIS. September 8.-The arrange
ment" put forward by the council
of ambassadors for solution OF the
Greco-Italian dispute Is unanimously
welcomed here as the most expedient
way out of the precarious situation.
With publication today of the full
text Of the note sent to the Athens
government. the extent OF the italian
victory--and the league of nations
defeat-in this controversy becomes
even more apparent than 1t was last
night.
The essential demands made by
Premier Mussolini upon Greece are
retained. The matter of the evacua-
tion of Corfu meanwhile is left in
such a state Of obscurity that even
the DUAL D'Orsay Is willing to admit
that Greece has no valid reason at
present for believing the Italians
sincerely intend to evacuate that
island.
As to the vital question Of the
potency of the League Of Nations no
doubt any longer exists. The league
has been weighed in the balance. OF
a practical crisis and found wanting.
1t has been srelegated to the some
what shameful position Of an unre-
spected child. whose opinions are
shifted at--as courteously as possible,
to be sure. but none the less shifted at.
See Complete Accord.
both moral and economic. asked from
Greece BY the league, and on that
occasion rejected by italy, are de-
rnanded by the council of ambassa-
assertions of the various foreign Of
fices are to be believed, that neither
government will now demur to them.
The note of the ambassadors con-
ference may be considered not only
victory for Italy over a nation not
victory for French diplomacy-with
Premier Poincare acting as the guild :
ing intelligence.
The efficiency Of this victory re-
mains to be seen. implicit in the ques-
tion whether or not Mussolini will
evacuate Corfu.
The paragraph Of the note relating
to Corfu is triumph of diplomatic
obscurity. After taking note of the
fact that Italy has declared that the
occupatio has no other reason than
to insure satisfaction of it's demands
the ambassadors communication
simply in effect asks Greece to COM
ply with the demands laid down. AL
though no word is said about an
actual evacuation the Tribune learns
that the implication of the paragraph
is that Greece Is given a slender as
surance that evacuation will take
place as soon as the indemnity is paid.
Save Humiliation.
Aside from the important reference
to Corfu, the chief difference between
the terms of the Ambassadors and
those laid down by Mussolini is that
the former suggest that obsequies for
the murdered Italian officers be held
in the presence Of representatives of
all three of the powers concerned,
thus rendering the position OF Greece
less humiliating than under the Mus
solini plan for services at Athens
Mussolinis theatrical demand that
the Greek flag be hoisted under the
Italian standard was eliminated with
out much difficulty, but this Is vir-
tually the only concession in favor
of Greece evidenced in the entire note
of the council of ambassadors.
The omission of the league of na-
tions proposal for a representative
on the commission Of inquiry into the
ASSASSINATION Oh the 1tdildnS is re-
garded as significant. 1t is demand
ed that the commission representing
the powers in this connection will
have "alf powers for assisting The
inquiry being conducted by the Greek
government" and security for its
numbers while on Greek soil is also
demanded. Moreover, the Albanian
government, which Is reported to be
in a defiant mood. has been invited to
render assistance in apprehension of
those guilty of the murders.
The Paris press regards the whole
note as a master piece of diplomatic
wisdom. lie Journal des Debats re-
marks that in some quarters people
are disposed to take 1t as victory
of French politics over English.
However, although relieved that some
sort of solution Is under way, nobody
pretends that the ambassadors set
tlement represents an altogether
satisfactory one, and the call for
British accord in the mediterranean
and adriatic section Is sounded.
pprco q ApS AMERTCANS