12 SEPTEMBER 1925, Page 1

NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE Council of the League of Nations by Thursday, September 3rd, had disposed of formal business and was ready for its most important work—the dis- cussion of its Commissioners' Report upon Mosul. M. Briand presided and the Turkish delegate made a long speech in which he accused Great Britain of naval and military acts which were incorrect and aggressive. Mr. Amery satisfactorily disposed of these protests and proceeded to deal admirably with the Report of the League Commission. He showed that he did not agree with everything in it, but he brought clearly forward the real conclusions and treated them with the respect due to them, that is as being the recommendations. for which Great Britain and Turkey had asked the League and by which they were consequently bound to be guided, though the Turkish delegate avoided com- mitting himself to acceptance. By far the most important declaration on behalf of the British Government was that if Mosul was to be joined to Iraq in the future Great Britain would accept the enlarged and prolonged mandate, not necessarily for the twenty-five years tentatively suggested by the Commission, but until the League declared the mandate at an end as intended by the .Covenant.