§ 30. Mr. T. SMITH (for Mr. PALING)asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement as to his reasons for not supporting the request of the Ethiopian Government for the immediate consideration by the Council of the League of Nations of the dispute with Italy, under Article 15 of the Covenant?
§ Sir A. LAMBERT WARDThe meeting of the Council to which the hon. Gentleman refers was a special meeting called at the request of France for a particular purpose and was quite distinct from the ordinary session of the Council to be held next month when the Italo-Ethiopian question comes up. The Council unanimously decided that in the light 194 of the assurances of both parties that they intended to give effect to the conciliation procedure laid down by Article 5 of the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of Friendship of 1928, there was no justification for advancing the consideration of this question and adding it to the agenda of the special meeting. My right hon. Friend, however, urged that this decision should be on the assumption that before the Council reassembled next month the four conciliators called for by the Treaty should be appointed and their terms of reference agreed upon. The President requested the Italian and Ethiopian representatives to bear this in mind.
§ Mr. MANDERCan the hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether it is proposed to appoint a chairman as a fifth member, in order that a decision may be arrived at?
§ Sir A. LAMBERT WARDI understand it has not been decided yet.