REPLY TO BITTER ATTACKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 293, 24 September 1935, Page 5

REPLY TO BITTER ATTACKS.

BRITISH NAVAL MOVEMENTS.

NO 'AGGRESSIVE INTENTIONS

LONDON. Sept. 21

The newspapers contain reports from correspondents in Italy of bitter attacks on England in many Italian newspapers, and their fierce denunciation of the alleged concentration of British ships in the Mediteiraneaii. The general comment is that the recent naval movements have not only been exaggerated, but misinterpreted in Italy. The Italian press campaign, which has included the accusation of aggressive intentions on the part of the British Government, shows a complete misunderstanding of the British attitude, the newspapers say. “The issue of the present crisis,” says the “News-Chronicle” in a. leading article, “is not between Britain and Italy, a nation with which the Government of this country has no

conceivable quarrel, hut between 1 . Italy and the league. The threat of war which has arisen has been referred to the league,' is under the league’s adjudication and cannot be taken away from the league.” The solo British concern, this and other newspapers emphasise, is support of the covenant, and the discharge of obligations undertaken as a member of the league. The suggestion of unilateral action by Britain, therefore, is absurd. It is stated that recent naval movements are, for the most part, merely anticipations of rearrangements foreshadowed at various times, as in the speech of the First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell) on the naval estimates. They can only he regarded as reasonable precautions in view of the threatening tone adopted for some time in the Italian press towards the powers which showed their intention of standing by their league obligations. The association of these measures to safeguard the position with the possibility of sanctions is, it is argued, quite unjustified. The question oif sanctions as Sir John Simon (the Home Secretary) said in a speech at Cleekheaton, has not arisen. “If such a question does arise, it will be for the League of Nations as a whole to deal with,” he stated—British Official Wireless.