Evening star., 1923-09-06
Greco-ItaIian Issue .Consid-
GRAFTON Delayed Until Def
mite Plans Made.
ITALY STILL DEFIANT,
BUT TENSION LESSENING
Hope Remains That Question Will
Be Adjusted to Credit
of All Parties.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, September 6.-Eforts of
the league of nations council to reach
some agreement on the Greco o-Italian
crisis constituted the reason for the
sudden decision to hold no session of
the assembly today.
Lord Robert Cecil and other mem
bers of the council desire to go be-
fore the assembly with something
definite, for they realize that if the
world nations met together as
forum before any tangible results
were obtained there would doubtless
be forensic explosion on the floor.
The assembly as a whole is looking
to the council to take some action
on the Italian question and the coun-
Gil. as the executive body. is con-
cerned above all things with saving.
the legaue of nations and preventing
any dangerous split.
No meeting of the council was held
this morning, but it's members con-
suited privately in attempts to reach
tentative accord with regard to
procedure and the attitude to be
adopted at the next formal meeting,
which may possibly be convened this
afternoon
There has been extensive tele-
graphing by all the delegations to
their home governments asking def
mite instructions on the great ques-
ton of the day, which has removed
all interest from the problems fig
uring on the agenda of the confer
ence.
The Tension Lessening.
NJ. Politis, former foreign minister
under VeniZelos and chief represent
ative of Greece here, said today that
the tension seemed to have lessened
problem of the Italian occupation of
Corfu Island offered supreme Difficult
ties. Much interest is felt here in
possible action by the council of am
bassadors in Paris, to which Greece
also has appealed.
CONSERVATION and "a deal of sad
ness prevail everywhere, for it is
generally. though reluctantly, admit
ted that the league has been unable
to Withstand the first great test of it's
practical use as machinery for regu-
latfng differences between nations,
since one of it's leading members has
declined to concede to its competence.
Hence there is a growing sentiment
among the smaller countries that il
the league covenant applies to them.
II apparently does not bind the great
powers of Europe.
All the more do they feel convinced
of this because the proportions which
the Italian and Greek conflict have
taken are deemed by them to be un-
1ust1f1ed by the original cause of the
controversy. serious and regrettable
as was the murder of the Italian Of
f1cers.
Hope Still Remains.
But hope is not abandoned: there
are stout hearts among the statesmen
OF the half hundred countries repre-
sented at Geneva, who, believers in
the league and in the ideal of con-
ciliation and arbitration which the
league voices. refuse to accept that
action of any member. powerful or
weak, can succeed in running the
league as power for good.
Signor Salandra's entire argument
today was that the questions arising
from the assassination of the Italian
mission should be settled by the coun-
Gil of ambassadors and not by the
Ieague. because it was the amuassa-
dorial body which had appointed the
mission to fix the frontier between AL
bania and Greece. That body was the
living organism of the great peace
conference and was empowered with
the execution Of the terms of treaties
The head of the Italian delegation
accused Greece of cleverly seeking to
diverting world attention from the
murder of the Italian officers to
Italy's seizure of Corfu, by denouncing
this seizure as an act of dangerous
aggression.
MuSsOllni Looming.
1t was not Signor Salandra but
Mussolini who seemed to be address
ing the council of the league today
at its dramatic session. AS the good
natured appearing former premier
read his fateful message the crowded
council chamber thought to hear in
fancy not the voice of Salandra but
that of his fascist chief and leader.
who has suddenly loomed up on the
stage of Europe. No state would
wish to belong to the league, read
Signor Salandra, if membership meant
remuneration of the right to defend
it's national dignity. Italy had not
menaced world peace, and there was
not sufficient reason for the applica-
ton of the articles of the covenant
cited by Greece, which were founded
on the supposition that danger of war
existed Until the ambassadoriaI
tended, any action by the league was
out of place, because of the leagues
evident incompetency.
NJ. Politis remarked that the Greek
government repudiated energetically
any allegation that it was morally or
materially responsible for the odious
crime committed on it's territory.
Greece, he declared, did not wish to
evade the prerogatives of the council
of ambassadors, but, on the contrary,
had asked that the council pursue an
investigation. Italy, however, in
bombarding Corfu had created a sit
uation which justified Greece. in ap-
pealing to the league.
NJ. Politfs insisted that in his sug-
gestion of yesterday that the league
council appoint neutral commission
to inquire into the crime, Greece was
using common sense and trying to be
fair all around, for his proposed
league commission could proceed
with it's work in conjunction with
the ambassadors council. Not only
Greece, but Italy, was bound under
the circumstances to refer the dis
pute to the league of nations; both
in letter and spirit the covenant of
the league demands it. If the coun-
ell of the league accepted the Italian
point of view, then, said NJ. Politis.
it was tantamount to ruin of the
pact of the league.
Lord Robert Cecil's quietly voiced
warning that il the treaty of Ver-