The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. WEDNESDAY., AUGUST 28, 1935. THE ELEVENTH HOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 203, 28 August 1935, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

WEDNESDAY., AUGUST 28, 1935. THE ELEVENTH HOUR.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that tee can do.

A very long train of thought is touched off by Mussolini's latest statements of policy.

What he says goes beyond the immediate problem of Italo-Abyssinian relations to the ultimate difficulty of reconciling the ideals of peace with national desire for expansion. He puts the question squarely to the League whether it intends to stop all such expansion, and the question cuts deep. No peace settlement has been permanent because sooner or later national forces upset or modify it. After the Napoleonic wars the Holy Alliance tried to fix the boundaries of Europe rigidly, but the forces of nationalism proved too much for it, and it, was foreseen that similar difficulties would develop from the settlement after the World War. It must be extraordinarily difficult to distribute territory without recpurse to war, yet it is undeniable that some countries are much better provided with estate than others. Nevertheless Mussolini lays himself open to thrust after thrust. He will not accept the League's censure, and if sanctions are applied ho will fight. Why, then, he may be asked, did Italy enter the League, and why has she remained a member for so long? And why did Italy accept Abyssinia as a member? Italy has a case against Abyssinia, but she is faced-with the huge and inescapable fact that Abyssinia is a member of the League. All members of'the League are pledged to uphold League principles, and the foundation of those principles is peace. There, seems to be still a gleam of hope. There are indications that Britain has a plan, but we are not told what it is. Mussolini says that decisions of the Council and the Assembly of the League must be unanimous. This is not strictly correct, for the Assembly can come to a decision on a majority vote of members who are not members of the Council. However, Mussolini evidently depends upon France, which is a member of the Council, and could therefore block any action by Council or Assembly. He says that France, by the agreement of January, gave him a free hand in East Africa. If France did this, knowing that Abyssinia was involved (and what other purpose could Italy have had in mind?), it was a gross betrayal of the League, for it is specifically laid down in the Covenant that the document is accepted as abrogating all obligations or understandings which are inconsistent with its terms, and members "solemnly undertake that they will not hereafter enter into any engagements inconsistent with the terms thereof." France is really the key to the position. If Britain and France can agree to say that there shall be no war, Mussolini will not attack Abyssinia. These two countries would probably carry other members of the League with them, and even if they did not, they, as members of the League would have power under the Covenant "to fake such action as they shall consider necessary for the maintenance of right and justice." Will France prefer Italy's .help in, Europe tq, the prevention of war in Africa? Is such help worth as much as the League? Supposing there was another war with Germany, and Britain stood aside? If the French- are the realists they are supposed to be, they should be thinking along these lines.