LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The League and Corfu
SIR,—May 1 be allowed to intervene in the controversy over the Corfu incident in 1923, since I was leading the British delegation to the League at the time it was there considered.
Signor Tellini was killed in Greek territory when he was engaged in delimiting the boundary betty en Greece and Albania on behalf of the Council of Ambassadors. 'Thereupon the Italian Government demanded • apologies and reparations from the Greek Government, including an indemnity of 50,000,000 lire, and, when the Greek Govern- ment made some difficulties, Mussolini bombarded and invaded Corfu. The Greek Government thereupon appealed to the League, and the Council, in spite of the protests of the Italian representative, entertained the appeal.
It was admitted that a serious international offence had been com- mitted, for which the Greek Government was in some degree respon- sible. But that did not justify the Italian attack on Corfu. With the 'consent of both parties the matter was referred to the Council of Ambassadors, the League suggesting - to that body that the Italians should forthwith leave Corfu and that Greece should make apologies and pay an indemnity, the amount of which should be settled by the International Court of Justice at the Hague. This suggestion was at first accepted by the Ambassadors, but afterwards, at the instance of our Ambassador, they decided that the 50,000,000 lire should be paid forthwith.
I do not understand why the action of the League should be called " contemptible." It seems to me to have made fair and reasonable proposals for the solution of an incident which might have had very serious consequences. I was told' at the time that Monsieur Venizelos, the Greek Minister and patriot, thoroughly approved of the action of
the League Council.—Yours faithfully, CECIL. Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex.
Previous page
