GRECO-ITALIAN: Greece Agrees

Evacuation? Having occupied the Greek island of Corfu for nearly three weeks, because of the murder (allegedly by Greeks) of Italian officials in Greece, Italy announced that she would evacuate Corfu— providing that Greece fulfills satisfactorily the demands of the Council of Ambassadors (TIME, Sept. 17).

Part Payment.

The Greek Government carried out part of the Council of Ambassadors’ demands. The Italian naval squadron, escorted by a British and a French warship, was saluted at Piraeus. The memorial service to the Janina road victims was held in Athens and attended by members of the Greek Cabinet. Military honors were shown to the remains of the victims as they were transported to Italy. Greece can do nothing more until the committee of inquiry has delivered its report.

Zaharoff.

The chief interest of the week was the report that the enigmatical, cosmopolitan multimillionaire, Sir Basil Zaharoff, had given 50,000,000 lire ($2,160,000) to the Greek Government for the payment of the indemnity asked for by Italy in her ultimatum. (TiME, Sept. 10.) Sir Basil, “citizen of the world,” noted philanthropist, famed international financier, notorious “mystery man,” born in Egypt, reputed subject of Greece and Great Britain, citizen of France, denied that he had given money to Greece. Inquired The Wall Street Journal: New York World cable says you deposited two and a half million dollars to guarantee Italian reparations, but not solely altruistic as with English, French and America capitalists you had big scheme afoot to develop Salonica Ghevgely Railroad, which would supplant Egypt Oriental route by Italy. Give me personal liberty to speak in your defense.

Sir Basil replied:

Have not made any deposit whatsoever and have no railroad scheme for any part of the globe. Tour kindness touches me. BASIL ZAHAROFF.

Entente.

Reports of a French-Italian Entente with the concurrence of Germany were again revived, apparently by the press. It can be authoritatively stated that these rumors were unfounded. Details of the proceedings of the Council of Ambassadors showed conclusively that Britain and France were at one in working for the preservation of peace in Europe, although their angles of approach differed.

League vs. Italy.

Although not directly connected with the Italo-Greek dispute, by virtue of assigning settlement to the Council of Ambassadors, the Council of the League of Nations held a “stormy” debate on Italy’s defiant attitude to the League. In the final analysis nothing was said, the debate resolving itself into mere verbiage, breaking up in the small hours of the morning. The only tangible result was that Italy had defied the League Covenant and that the Council must report to the Assembly in order that it may take ” some action calculated to reinforce the prestige of the League.”

Credit.

Much discussion in the world’s press has ensued from the Italo-Greek dispute pro and con the League of Nations. It seems fair to summarize this many-sided controversy as giving the League full credit for preventing war— on the assumption that if the League had not existed Greece could not have maintained a passive attitude to Italy; therefore the League prevented war. On the other hand, the Council of Ambassadors deserves unstinted merit for acting promptly where the League failed, and thereby bringing the full weight of the Powers to bear on Greece, thus forcing a quick and peaceful settlement.