FEVERISH ACTIVITY BEFORE ZERO HOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 7

FEVERISH ACTIVITY BEFORE ZERO HOUR.

ITALY PREPARES.

C 3 Men Called Up: Unfit To Be Re-examined. "NO" TO LEAGUE ADVANCES. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 12 noon.) KOME, September 19. Italy is preparing for zero hour feverishly and is speeding up military preparations. Vulnerable coastal points have been strengthened against air attacks. Even Co men have been called up. The latest orders oblige the 1911 and 1914 classes exempted from military service on medical grounds to resubmit themselves for examination. The official spokesman at Rome stated that the proposals of the Committee of Five are absolutely unacceptable. Italy's viewpoint lias not changed and will not | change. The committee's recommendations, however, bear out Italy's contention that Abyssinia is wholly unable to govern herself. A dispatch from Geneva states that it is reported there that Baron Aloisi, Italian delegate to the League, is not going to Rome as Signor Mussolini has stated that he does not want advice from Geneva. This is taken to indicate that, he adheres to his determination to proceed with the campaign against Abyssinia. The official spokesman at Rome says the proposals are not yet to hand but the spirit of the recommendations is such that Italy cannot accept them. GREAT ACTIVITY. Australian Defence Measures Speeded Up. CONTROL OF NAVAL WATERS. (Received 10.30 a.m.) CANBERRA, this day. Details of an unusual amount of defence activity are announced in the Government "Gazette." These include a proclamation of Darwin as an area coming under the provisions of the Control of Naval Waters Act. Minesweeping apparatus is to be installed on the Cam Company's fishing trawler at Cockatoo dockyard, and when the work is completed the vessel will be manned by its present crew and a complement of naval ratings, who will carry out minesweeping manoeuvres in Australian waters. A Darwin message says Darwin Harbour is a scene of unusual naval activity. Four vessels, the Sussex, Canberra, Stuart and Moresby are anchored off the town.

SUPPORT OF PARTIES. British Political Aspects of Situation. USES OF DEFENCE SYSTEM. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, September 19. One of the principal subjects for discussion at the annual conference of the Conservative party at Bournemouth next month will be a resolution calling upon the Government to provide at all costs that Britain's naval, military and air services shall be adequate to safeguard British territory and sea-borne trade against aggression by any single " Power, and to carry out with loyalty and effect Britain's international obligations.

A resolution will also be proposed that the Government, having declared its intention never to use dcfence services for aggression or for any other purpose inconsistent, with the Briand-Kellogg Pact and the Covenant of the League, should concentrate afresh on the task of reducing by international agreement the level of national armaments. The executive of the National Liberal Federation has welcomed the clear and firm statement of British foreign policy made by Sir Samuel Hoare at Geneva. The national executive of the Labour party met in London to-day, and is understood to have considered the resignations of Lord Ponsonby from the leadership of the party in the House of Lords and of Sir Stafford Cripps from the national executive itself on the grounds of disagreement with the attitude of the party in giving wholehearted support to a policy based on the Covenant of the League of Nations. It was decided to accept Sir Stafford s resignation, with regret that he "had found himself at variance with the declared policy of the Labour party."

"LIGHTS OUT" ORDER. GIBRALTAR REGULATIONS. (Received 1 p.m.) GIBRALTAR, September 19. An official gazette states that in the event of certain emergencies it may be necessary to extinguish all lights in the city, and the public is advised to obtain a supply of candles. They are warned, however, that all lights must be carefully screened, and serious action will be taken against persons disregarding these instructions.

[The International Cable News appearing In this issue is published by "'ang* with the Australian anil the " Sydney Sun " — Melbourne Herald News Service, Limited. By special arrangement Beuter*s Service, in addition to otier special sources of information, is used in the compilation of the overseas intelligence published in this issue, and all rights in Australia and New Zealand are reserved. Such of the cable news on thtspage as is so headed has appeared in The Times and is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should b c""d - stood that the opinions are not those of " The Times" unless expressly stated to be so. British Official Wireless 's 'ssued by the Imperial Affairs Branch of the Prime Minister'* pepaj-twnt, New Zealand.!