NEWS OF THE WEEK
ABAD hitch has occurred in the Mosul negotiations and the Council of the League of Nations is in an ember- iassing position. Turkey, whose methods of diplomacy are all her own, has declared that she no longer feels herself bound to abide by the decision of the Council. What possible excuse can she have ? Rushdi Bey said that the Turks had promised to accept the decision of the Council only because of a statement made by Lord Curzon at Lausanne. Lord Curzon had then promised that if the Mosul boundary were referred to the Council the Turks should have not only a seat but a vote in the Council and that the decision would depend upon a unani- mous vote. Rushdi Bey explained that the Turks had understood that all this implied mediation, and obviously the promise of Fethy Bey had been given in the light of Lord Curzon's statement. This excuse does not correctly represent the facts, and even if it did no violence to the letter it would be contrary to the whole spirit of the agree-. ment which Lord Curzon and Fethy Bey reached.
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