Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Blaðsíða 203

NANSEN AND THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS 193
French delegation, led by Monsieur Hanotaux, took a somewhat
ambiguous position. But the British Government, of which the
then Mr. Baldwin was Prime Minister and Lord Curzon was
Foreign Secretary, stood firm and so did the rest of the Council.
Undoubtedly this attitude was greatly helped by the clear lead
given by Nansen to the other countries not members of the Coun-
cil. It removed all doubt as to the line which the Assembly would
take. At first, Signor Mussolini, who had just installed himself
in power, was inclined to defy the League. But it early became
known that the League Powers were considering strong action if
the occupation of Corfu continued, and the Italian Government
opened a negotiation with Greece under which it was agreed that
Corfu should be evacuated and that the terms of reparation
should be referred to the Conference of Ambassadors — a body
brought into existence by the Peace Treaties for the adjustment
of post-war difficulties between the Parties to those Treaties. In
the result Greece paid a large amount for reparation — probably
more than the Hague Court would have imposed on her. But she
felt, perhaps rightly, that a settlement leaving no bitterness be-
hind it was worth a considerable sum to her. It is of course clear
that this arrangement was in full accord with both the letter and
the spirit of the Covenant which only provides machinery for the
settlement of disputes which negotiation has failed to appease.
Another considerable political question in which Nansen
played a part arose over the admission of Germany to the League.
There is no doubt that the Powers at Paris made a mistake in not
accepting all the ex-enemy States as members of the League from
the outset. As time went ori, the others were admitted, but Ger-
many was not. It was therefore a great relief when it became
known that it was part of the understanding reached at Locarno
that Germany should join the League. For this result Nansen had
put forward many efforts and they were so far crowned with
success at Locarno that Germany was prepared to enter the League
provided she did so on the same footing as the other Great Powers;
that is to say, that she was to be one of the Permanent Members
of the Council and no other countries beyond those who were al-
ready Permanent Members should be given that position at the
same time as herself. Thereupon arose a bitter controversy, into
the details of which it is unnecessary to enter. It is enough to say
that in the end a compromise was reached which, unhappily, in-
volved the withdrawal of Brazil from the League and the an-
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