Silver Lining

Amid the disheartening League developments of last week two factors of cheer were much touted by Council members in statements to the press:

1) The Council voted to accept a recommendation by one of its fiscal subcommittees that the three-year administration of Austrian state finance by Dr. Alfred Zimmermann, as League of Nations General Commissioner for Austria, be terminated on June 30, 1926.

Dr. Zimmermann, perhaps the most celebrated of Dutch fiscal experts, was present at Geneva last week, was warmly congratulated upon his achievements in stabilizing the schilling, balancing the Austrian budget, administering with sage economy the $126,000,000 loan floated to redeem Austria from national bankruptcy (TIME, Sept. 24, 1923).

2) By a further vote it was decided to gradually withdraw the League control over Hungarian finances.

3) The Anglo-Turko-Irak treaty was signed last week, thereby effecting a settlement of the Mosul question along lines closely approximating the League adjudication of the matter (TIME, Dec. 28) though of course actually arrived at by extra-League negotiation. (See INTERNATIONAL, "Mosul".)

Postponements. The Council adjourned without taking action upon those portions of its agenda (TIME, June 14) keynoted by the headings: "Slavery" and "Security."