ITALIAN POLICY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 210, 18 June 1936, Page 5

ITALIAN POLICY.

NEGOTIATIONS WITH GERMANY. ITALY'S TRADE RELATIONS. fUnited Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) ROME, June 17. It is officially confirmed that trade negotiations have been opened with Germany). THE ATTITUDE OF BRITAIN

EXPLANATION TO THE DOMINIONS. LONDON, June 16. " A correspondent of the "Sun-Herald" service says that Britain's attitude toward sanctions was outlined by Mr R. A. Eden this afternoon at a conference with the High Commissioners for the Dominions, each of whom submitted his own Dominion's viewpoint. Mr Bruce presented the Commonwealth's case, the newspapers' announcement of which caused a nutter, especially among foreign correspondents, who suspect that London inspired the Commonwealth to initiate the abandonment of sanctions to enable the British Government to present a strong case in the House of Commons on Thursday, and simultaneously to save its face on the Continent. Actually all the Dominions except South Africa favoured the dropping of sanctions. Mr Eden frankly explained Britain's reasons for the reversal of policy, emphasising the failure of action by 'the League had caused splits and fissures throughout Europe, and that continuation of sanctions would make the position worse. NO SURPRISE IN ROME. SILENCE ON COUNTERSANCTIONS. LONDON, June 17. The political correspondent of "The Times" says it is expected that the Cabinet will make the withdrawal of sanctions conditional on no discrimination by Italy against trade with sanctionist countries. The Rome correspondent of the "Daily Mail" says the British Cabinet's reported intention to abolish sanctions been received with satisfaction, but no surprise, for it was considered inevitable after Mr Chamberlain's speech. The Rome correspondent of "Th» Times" says it may be noted that nothing is being said about Italy's removal of her own counter-sanctions. It is less than a month ago that the directorate of the Fascist party declared for the permanent and irrevocable exclusion of the products of sanctionist countries.

In the meantime, it is admitted that Italy is conducting commercial negotiations with a number of countries, including Germany. . Italy is obviously seeking to bend sanctionist countries by dangling before their eyes the rewards she is preparing to bestow on non-sanctionist countries. OPERATION OF SANCTIONS. EFFECT ON TRADE OF ITALY. GENEVA, June 16. The League Secretariat states that 18 countries that are applying sanctions had total imports from Italy during April to the value of only 424,000 gold dollars, compared with 6,777,000 in April, 1935. Their export to Italy totalled 2,453,000 gold dollars, compared with 8,807,000.