The League and Abyssinia
The agreement reached at Geneva regarding the Italo- Abyssinian dispute reflects credit on everyone concerned. Mr. Eden must by general consent be awarded chief honours, but he was effectively supported by M. Laval. At the same time full recognition must be made of the strength of mind displayed by Signor Mussolini in retiring, after long negotiation from a position which he could not retain without dishonouring his signature to the League
Covenant and the Kellogg Pact. All three statesmen
have in their different ways contributed to a result which adds greatly to the. League's prestige and its power to maintain a reign of law in Europe. By the agreement, now reached Signor Mussolini accepts Abyssinia's nominees to the conciliation board, whom she had informally if not formally challenged ; he accepts a time- limit for the conciliation procedure, after which the League Council will, if necessary, take the matter up itself ; he thereby definitely recognizes the right of the League to concern itself with the dispute ; and he ex- pressly reaffirms the fifth article of the Italo-Abyssinian treaty of 1928, whereby both sides pledge themselves to settle all disputes without recourse to arms. The con- ciliation committee, it would appear, can discuss frontier problems but not delimit the frontier. That will have to be done on the spot by a special commission. This is not a final settlement, and does not profess to be. Further difficulties may still arise, but last week's negotia- tions have shown how to deal with them.
Previous page
