Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18
|BR|AND'S UNION
PLAN IS DELAYED
Participation of Russia and
Turkey Referred to Sub
committee.
BY the Associated Press.

| GENEVA, January 17.-Representa-
tives of IS European nations debated
all day q proposal to invite Soviet Rus
STA and Turkey to participate in their
examination of Aristide Brands project
for federation of European states, but
at the end of the session they turned
over this problem to a subcommittee
with instructions to report on Monday.
This evening they turned again to
the economic situation, seeking basis
for concerted action to remedy the ills
of industry and commerce. They dis
cussed tariffs, the possibility of pref
erential rates for agricultural countries
and the application of the most IA
vored nation" principle.
Its work must go over now into next
week and the commission will have to
divide time with the League of Nations
facing the grave questions Of dlSarma-
ment and minority interests.
Arthur Henderson, the British for
eign minister, supported the original
suggestion of DR.. Julius Curtius, Ger
many'S foreign minister, that Russia
and Turkey be asked to sit in. He
went even further and proposed that
all the nations of the world, particu-
larly the United States, be asked to
cooperate with the commission.
Question Authority.
Turkey and Russia are not members
of the League of Nations and, since
this commission is operating within the
League structure. some of the delegates
questioned its authority to invite non
leaguers.
BRAND himself was one of these, al
though he and those who supported his
views, indicated that they might be
willing to invite the two outsiders at
some future time. Holland held out
Oh the grounds that she and Russia
are not friendly, and Jugoslavia and
Runania also took a definite position
against the invitation. Belgium and
Switzerland sided with them, pointing
out that they have no diplomatic rela-
tions with Russia and do not wish to
work with representatives of Moscow.
In explaining his attitude, NJ. BRAND
asserted there were questions in regard
to which close and brotherly CO.
operation is impossible" with nom
he said, was competent to discuss
article 16 of the League Covenant,
which deals with sanctions, but the
Soviet government obviously was not
competent to join such discussion.
He concluded:
France maintains courteous rela-
tons with Soviet Russia. but there is
no object in discussing their scope. In
any case these relations will be utilized
to the best of our ability But for
friendly relations there must be two
parties.
Grandi Makes Reservation.
M. Grandi very prudently made
reservations on this subject. 1t is pos
sible that an invitation to Russia
might be coldly received. The COM
mission has no right to expose the
nations to such an affront"
Grandi replying, said he was not
worried over the result of such an in
vitation.
THE commission must show that it
does not wish to create a division in
Europe and that it will leave to the
states in question the responsibility of
refusing the commissions generous
offer he said.
The Italian spokesman asserted the
commission would run two risks if 1t
declined to invite Russia and Turkey on
equal footing with other members:
First it would disregard its mandate
from the Assembly, and second, it
would run the danger of having the
invitation refused because no govern
ment would agree to cooperation
limited both as to time and object.
Tax Promises Not Redeemed.
After the commission had turned
from the Russian to the economic queS-
ton and resumed its public session,
Mr.. Henderson pointed out that %
nations had promised at the 1927
economic conference to seek reduction
of taxes.
These promises had not been re-
deemed, he said, and added Great
Britain and other free trading nations
were under heavy pressure to adopt
protectionism and might yield If other
states continued their present policy.
Foreign Minister Marinkovitch of
Jugoslavia replied that Jugoslavia's
promise to reduce tariffs had hot been
carried out because such action was
economically impossible without sacri-
ficing the existence of four-flfthS of
the population of his country.
He favored preferential rates for
agricultural products between countries
of Southeastern Europe and said that
the United States, Canada and the
Argentine would not be hurt by such
an arrangement.