On 17th March the Ethiopian Government appealed to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, requesting that their differences with Italy should be investigated under Article XV of the Covenant and alleging inter alia that the direct negotiations entered into by both parties following the Geneva agreement of 19th January last have led to no result. Having been invited by the Secretary-General of the League to submit their observations on the Ethiopian Note, the Italian Government, while denying in their reply that they consider the phase of direct negotiations as terminated, have undertaken that if these negotiations should not lead to an argument, they will take steps forthwith with a view to the constitution of the Commission of Conciliation provided for by Article 5 of the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of Friendship of 1928. In these circumstances, with good will on both sides, effective progress may now be made by further direct negotiations between both parties in accordance with their undertakings to the Council of the League.