Evening star., 1936-04-10

DR.. Augusta Vasconcellos of Portugal.
| president of the Leagues Sanctions
| Committee, convoked that body "when
he considers it useful in the interest of
peace"
1t was decided also that the men,
bers of the Sanctions Committee
should be warned that their presence
may be required at any moment.
| Unconfrned reports circulated among
the delegates that Premier Mussolini
| intends to enthrone puppet emperor
of Ethiopia at Dessye when and if his
soldiers subjugate the last strong
holds Of Emperor Halle Selassies
! forces.
Eden -Flandin WrangIe.
The session of the Committee Of
Thirteen, composed of every member
OF the League Council except Italy,
was marked by wrangling between
Anthony Eden. British foreign secre-
tary, and Pierre -Etienne F1andin,
French foreign minister.
Eden insisted that the Committee
of Thirteen. through Salvador de
Madariaga, its president, should be
linked with all peace negotiations be-
cause the Ethiopians have announced
that they will refuse any direct con-
tact with Italian plenipotentiaries, at
least for the present, and that League
representatives must always be pres
ent at the negotiations.
Flandin remarked that If the Ethi-
opians persisted in this attitude, every
one would know who was responsible
for the continuation Of the war. The
French diplomat said that some direct
negotiations were inevitable
Eden retorted that the war was
a clear case Of aggression with the
victim appealing to the League Of
Nations for help.
And the League must help!" de-
clared Eden.
Drastic Action Demand.
The impression which prevailed in
! League circles was that if, by that
date, there we're no indications OF
peace within reasonable period, or
that negotiations showed no hope of
ton, the British would demand new
and drastic action.
Not an hour can be wasted" said
Eden. opposing an indefinite adjourn
ment Of the committee and acceptance
by De Madariaga of Premier Musso-
lini's invitation for him to go to Rome
if he wanted to talk peace.
Co. f1ak 1,y,;
would be requested to have plenipo-
| tentiaries in Geneva next Tuesday and
| that De Madariaga should, with both
Italians and Ethiopians around him at
the conference table, get down to the
business of peace talk.
The Ethiopian government, replying
to the Leagues appeal to the belliger-
ents to observe the recognized rules of
warfare, telegraphed its ''pained sur
prise at the fact that the Committee
of 13 felt able to place on the same
footing Ethiopia, victim Of unjus-
tilted aggression, and Italy, an ag-
gressor unanimously condemned BY
the League"
Red Cross Refuses Data.
The International Red Cross re-
fused today to turn over to the League
Cancellation Committee of Thirteen
data which the committee had been in
formed the Red Cross possessed on al
legged Italian use of poison gas in
Ethiopia.
The text of the refusal, made public
when the League committee resumed
its deliberations, pointed out that the
Red Cross was already engaged-at the
request of both belligerents-in an
investigation of alleged violations Of
Geneva conventions.
Until a final decision, which we
hope will achieve positive result, has
been reached, the International Red
Cross Committee cannot hand over its
documentary material for purposes OF
another inquiry, bearing partly the
same facts" the Red Cross said.
Moreover, even apart from the ne
gotiationS now in progress in con-
nection with our inquiry, the neu-
trality which the International Red
Cross Committee is bound to observe
makes it necessary for the committee
to exercise very great discretions."
Move Apparent Failure.
The League Cancellation Committee
adjourned today until next Thursday
after encountering apparent failure
in its drive for q quick Italo-Ethi-
| opian peace.
The committee instructed its chair
man, Salvador de Madariaga of
Spain, to get in touch again with
representatives of both belligerents in
Geneva-not at Rome-after Italy's
spokesman turned down his first re-
quest for a statement here of the
Fascist peace terms.
Diplomats of the Locarno powers,
simultaneously, resumed their con-
sideration of the urgent problem Of
the Rhineland situation. A four
power political and military front
against Germany was proclaimed to-
day by French spokesman to be the
aim of France. France insisted upon
satisfactory guarantees against any
German fertilization Of the Rhine
land, the spokesman said.
The French, holding that Adolf
Hitler had made no gesture toward
conciliation In the Rhineland, con-
sidered that conciliation Of the crisis
had failed.
Therefore, the French spokesman
said, the alternative program laid
down at London Of union of Britain,
France, Belgium and Italy against
Germany should function.
The French maintained Britain and
Italy should Immediately come TO the
assistance Of France and Belgium in
accordance with the Locarno pro-
visions respecting "any measures
which shall jointly be decided upon"
Informed sources said indications
we're that Italy would participate In
the Locarno power deliberations with
| an attitude Of reserve.