Evening star., 1939-11-03
British Get Cold Feet
Over League Session,
Slated in December
Too Many Ghosts
Might Appear to Cause
Greet Embarrassment
BY HELEN KIRKPATRICK,

u
Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent
LONDON, Nov. Something has
happened to give the British gov
ernment cold feet about the League
of Nations Assembly meeting sched-
uled for December, and there are
all sorts Of reasons being given as
to why it may not meet after all.
In the first place, the Leagues
secretary general, Joseph A. Avenol,
has not had answers from all the
members, so he has been unable
to ask Ivan Maisky, Soviet Ambas-
sador here and retiring president of
the Council, to convene that body.
Next, the British raise the question
of travelling difficulties and mention
air raids which might interrupt
plans. But they say there is no
confirmation of the story that Rus
sia will withdraw from the League.
AS matter Of fact, it is more
likely that the increasing number
If League casualties provides too
many potentially embarrassing sit
uations. There are so many ghosts
which might decide to appear in
Geneva-there is Ethiopia, whose
ghost has never legally been laid;
Czecho-Slovakia, Austria, Poland
and Albania.
British Want Meeting.
The British are anxious that the
meeting should take place, as it is
legally necessary in order to sane
ton League expenditures, and Brit
ain wants to keep the League going.
The question of Poland's exist
ence will not arise at the Council!
meeting unless the Poles request
that it be placed on the agenda-
and 1t is unlikely that they will do e
If not approved by France, who
has given refuge to the exiled Po-
llsh government. It is not thought
that Russia will object to having
Poland represented, but the ques-
ton as to which Poland is to be
represented may arise between Ger
many and Russia. The Germans are
obviously making a desperate at.
tempt to set up new government
In the remnants Of the partitioned
state, and they may insist that the
Russians only agree to recognize
their Polish government.
It will be recalled that the two
Spanish governments Nationalist
and Loyalist) each tried to be rep
resented at the League Assembly
during Spain's civil war-but that
the League continued to recognize
Barcelona, and therefore probably
will have to allow French Poland"
rather than German Poland" to
appear.
If the Russians are interested to
make the situation very embarrass-
ing, the former ruler of Ethiopia,
the Negus Negusti, might be per-
suaded to attempt again to gain ad-
mittance, as he Is still legally en-
titled to do so, since the assembly
refused to approve the British plea
to strike Ethiopia's name from the
roll.
Question Of Albania.
Despite British determination to
keep the meeting nonpolitical, 1t is
difficult to see how this can be &C.
complished.
There is, too, the question Of
Albania, in whose demise Britain
appears to have acquisced, since the
request for q British consul general
to Albania has been made to the
Italian government. As it was not
q diplomatic representation, there
was not the necessity to seek the
permission of the King, and, there
fore, 1t was unnecessary to name
Victor Emmanuel, King Of Italy and
Albania and Emperor Of Ethiopia,
but to all intents and purposes
Britain has written Albania OF for
the time being.
Russia has no debt to italy, and
may find this field q fertile one for
troubling the allies, but the British
may be able to persuade King Zog
not to demand representation. II 1t
were not for the necessity Of insur-
ing the Leagues continuity, all these
potentially embarrassing situations
would probably lead Britain to
abandon the idea Of the meeting.
(copyrtsht, 1889. by Chiease Dsify Nsws1