THE LEAGUE: Silence Makes Sanctions

In avoiding the blockade of economic sanctions imposed by League states, Italy had to think first of buying war materials from Germany, the great League outsider in Europe, and, secondly, of importing them across Switzerland and Austria.

Last week the Soviet secret service smelled in Berlin quiet British efforts to obtain by means of concessions to Germany the co-operation of Realmleader Adolf Hitler in boycotting Italy. This discovery threw the Soviet Union overnight from high gear into low so far as the League is concerned. Soviet Foreign Commissar Litvinoff, whose voice at Geneva has been loudest against Il Duce, abruptly decided not to attend the League Assembly last week when it met to approve sanctions, sending instead Vladimir Potemkin, Soviet Ambassador to France. In Moscow leading Government newsorgans charged that Britain was attempting to "bribe" not only Germany but also Japan. Since these two countries are Russia's mortal enemies, Soviet statesmen feared that the bribes might be British promises of aid and comfort should they attack the U. S. S. R.

When news reached Moscow that Manchukuo troops under Japanese officers had just attacked the Soviet frontier and killed several Red Army guards, the Soviet Press jittered anew against England. Russians read bug-eyed that the Greek Republic has been friendly to Dictator Mussolini, that last week's coup to restore George II is a cunning move by the Government of his kinsman George V to alienate Greek friendship from Italy (see p. 29).

Pflüql and Upheaval. At Geneva last week the Delegate of Switzerland, her one-time President Giuseppe Motta, inserted a small but fateful wad of gum into the League machinery by making clear that Switzerland, no matter what engagements she assumes or has assumed as a member of the League, will preserve as paramount to her safety "the historic principle of Swiss neutrality." This was a high-flown way of saying that bantamweight Switzerland must and will let middleweight Italy buy from or across her whatever Dictator Mussolini imperatively demands.

Austria was represented at Geneva last week by eloquent old Herr Emeric von Pflüql. Referring to Il Duce's prompt massing of Italian troops on the frontier of Austria, which prevented the backers of Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss' assassins from seizing the Government (TIME, Aug. 6, 1934), snowy-haired Delegate von Pflüql cried: "Austria will never forget that at a fateful moment in her history it was Italy who, in the best spirit of the League Covenant, helped by her attitude to safeguard the integrity of another League member, my country. Our friendship with Italy, destined to endure throughout time to come, is increased by the debt of gratitude that duty places upon us. My Government does not find itself in a position to associate itself with the conclusions reached by other members of the League."