THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1928, Page 3

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

FATAL ALPS LURE. Australian Press Assn.—United Service GENEVA, July 26. Another series of fatal accidents in the Alps is reported to-day. While making an excursion with a companion on the Schelglacke in the Silverctta Range, a young student named Albrecht Christ fell down a crevasse. With great diffiulty his friend fastened the rope by which lie was attached to the injured man to nil ice axe and went in search of help. When he returned witli a number of guides the student was dead.

On the Gadman, near Ifinertkirchen, Karl Thomas, a student of philosophy lost his life through and attack of vertigo, which caused him to lose his foothold and fall over a precipice. While making an ascent of the Oltschikopf with two women companions a tourist named Brunner slipped and was killed. Another serious accident occurred to, a young man named Zwahlen, who received terrible injures while looking for edelweiss on the Sans, in the Bernese Oberland. During the ascent of the Crepaccio in the Dolomites yesterday, two Italian students fell 1,500 feet and were killed. Two other fathl accidents have been reported from the same region. July has been a month of disasters in the Swiss Alps. On Friday,-July 13, the worst disaster recorded for- 25 years in the Zermatt district occurred on tlio Breithoru, where four French tourists wero killed. Eleven other mountaineering deaths were rejiortcd between July 13 and 23.

EVACUATION TERMS. LONDON, Sept. 7 The Geneva correspondent of “The Times” states: M. Briand’s and Dr Mueller’s first contact lias produced a more hopeful atmosphere, leading to an expectation that a firm basis of negotiation will be discovered before the League Assembly is over. The progress may be slow, blit a big gain has been made pi the present interchanges. Chancellor Mueller appears definitely to have dropped the idea that the evacuation of the Rhineland ought to follow as the logical consequence oT the Locarno Pact without any compensation or quid pro quo. Dr Mueller is now believed to have admitted, as lie must have realised before, that the request for the withdrawal of the Allied troops from the Rhineland six or seven years before the stipulated period would not be entertained without a corresponding advantage on the other side—something in the nature of a financial agreement whereby the Dawes payments would he definitely secured to Germany’s creditors. There is reason to believe that Germany lias a proposal to this effect already drawn up in memornndum form, ready to he produced at the psychological moment. Tnere must also later be a discussion regarding the nature of the supervision to be exercised over the evacuated territory. There lias been much unofficial French talk about an international supervisory commission. It is deemed probable that bqth the French Governments will accept the idea of such a body. An acute point o'f 'difference will be whether it is to function after 1935, when the f I roaty period of occupation ends; but the officials conversations have not yet reached this length. It may he added that France no logner talks of attaching political conditions to an antedated evacuation. If the idea was ever seriously entertained that Germany must he asked for a renewed renunciation of her ultimate union with Austria, and a renewed undertaking that in no circumstances must she alter her eastern frontier, it is now abandoned.

GENEVA NEWS. (Received this day at « a.in.) GENEVA, Sept. . 7

Na'vah Palanpour, who made an excellent speech to-day hones to visit Australia, in the near future. He is the* keenest of sportsmen and says he alwavs yearned to see Australia. The' Assembly of the League by 44 votes to 4 decided to apply re-eligibility rules to the current council elections for permanent seats for which China, is at present the only applicant. Tt is obviously a nasty pill to swallow, to reelect a power owing £264,780 sterling in contributions, but lobby opinion icflects the feeling that the price is worth while to keep China’s evolution along desirable lines and to induce a spirit of moderation in her demands for a revision of treaties. It may be difficult to remit arrears from Canton, but the Chinese delegation does not lack money for banquetting, winch is going on lavishly at the most expensive "hotel. She is making every po»l a winning one.