LIBERTY OF ACTION IS ITALY'S DEMI.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 213, 9 September 1935, Page 7

LIBERTY OF ACTION IS ITALY'S DEMI.

CONCILIATION VAIN?

Sceptical Indifference in Commission's Work.

LEAGUE WARNING ISSUED,

(British Official Wireless.) (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, September 8. "The Times" Rome correspondent . sa ys that "liberty of action" remains Italy's -watchword, according to ' official quarters. Meanwhile the Conciliation Commission's work is being watched with sceptical indifference. It is firmly believed it ■will be fruitless, as whatever the commission proposes it will be unacceptable if it interferes with Italian freedom. The session of the League of Nations Council continued at Geneva yesterday morning for the dispatch of the heavy agenda of routine business. The places of France, Britain, Poland and Turkey were occupied by substitute delegates. M. Laval, Mr. Eden, Colonel Beck and Tewlik Aras were attending, with Senor de Madariaga {Spain) the. special subcommittee appointed by the Council to inquire into all respects of relations between Italy and Ethiopia with a view to finding a peaceful settlement. At the second meeting of the committee yesterday it is presumed that M. Laval and Mr. Eden placed before their* colleagues all documents and reports relating to the Three-Power Conference in Paris in August. Before adjourning till Monday afternoon the committee is understood to have followed many League precedents in authorising the drafting of a letter to be sent to the Governments of Ethiopia and Italy urging them carefully to avoid any new incident which could render the situation more difficult, or complicate the committee's task. M. Laval is reported to have returned to Paris till Monday, and Mr. Eden will spend a quiet week-end in the country near Geneva. SOUTH AFRICAN OPINION. LEAGUE MUST DO ITS DUTY. (Received 10.30 a.m.) PRETORIA, September 8. The Department of External Affairs states that the Union Government's attitude is that the League of Nations should do its duty in the dispute between Italy and Abyssinia and adopt all the measures at its disposal to secure the disputants' compliance with their obligations as members of the League and their abstention from hostilities. "Britain and South Africa are entitled to state that they will not tolerate new and large armed forces indefinitely on their frontiers," declared Mr. H. Abercroinbie, moving a resolution in the Pretoria Chamber of Commerce requesting the South. African Government to formulate a Monroe Doctrine to preserve the status quo in Africa. The resolution was carried and is being submitted to the congress of Chambers of Commerce on September 16.' Mr. Abercrombie pointed out that territorial changes would mean a loss of trade to the British Empire. ' South African mines and cities could be bombed by air from Abyssinia. South Africa similarly cannot allow the transfer of mandated territories to other Powers.

OIL CONCESSION. PBOJECT TO BE CARRIED ON. (Received 1 p.m.) SUEZ, September 8. "I can assure you the concession will be exploited," said Mr. F. W. Rickett, intimating his belief that the American interests would find a way to carry on. He added that the concession would last for 75 years, and even the Hague Court could not upset it. BANK RATE RAISED. ITALIAN STOCKS DECLlNE(Received 1 p.m.) ROME, September 8. The Italian bank rate has been raised to 5 per cent. Heavy falls were registered on the Rome Bourse yesterday in industrials, metals and minerals. Fiats declined 25 points overnight to 326.

TAINTED NEWS. MALTA TO HAVE OWN SERVICE (Beceived 11 a.m.) MALTA, September 8. Thjj Government is commencing news broadcasts to offset the tendency of Italian news bulletins broadcast in English and Italian. INDIAN TROOPS. BRITISH LEGATION GUARD. LONDON, September 8. . Dispatches from Addis Ababa state

that 120 Indian troops to guard the J British Legation arrived there unobtru-j sively in order to avoid alarming the Abyssinians. Count Vinci, Italian Minister, has intimated his dtfision to close the Consulates at Gondar, Debramarkos, Dessie 1 and Magalo. The personnel will go to j Addis Ababa. Tlie Consulate at Adowa i is to remain open. A message from Rome says it is authoritatively stated that the Italian Government has not recalled the Con- : buls, but Count Vinci may have acted on his own initiative where anti-Italian ■ feeling is strongest, without implying 8 aver motives than the safety of the pirsonnel, or larger developments.