CANNOT MUCH LONGER DELAY MOBILISING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 231, 30 September 1935, Page 7

CANNOT MUCH LONGER DELAY MOBILISING.

• appeal to geneva.

Ethiopia's Emperor Fears Italy's Growing Forces. FRONTIER OBSERVERS WANTED United I'rcss Association. —Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, September 29. Tho Emperor of Ethiopia, ITaile Silassie, has telegraphed the League of Nations at Geneva warning the Council that he cannot much longer delay mobilisation in the face of the rapid and continuous reinforcements from Italy. Ho also urges the Council to take the speediest precautions against aggression, as the time will come when lie will be failing in his duty if ho should delay longer the call to the army. M. Litvinoff circulated the Emperor's telegram to members of tlio Council which will probably consider it tomorrow. The opinion is expressed that the appeal is intended to emphasise the Emperor's earlier request to dispatch League observers to Abyssinia. An earlier message from Geneva stated that the Leaguo Council telegraphed to the Emperor expressing appreciation of his decision to withdraw his troops 20 miles from the frontier in order to avoid the possibility of untoward incidents. Sir Pcrcival Phillips, the "Daily Telegraph" Addis Ababa correspondent, reports that the Emperor will refrain from general mobilisation until he is absolutely certain that danger to his frontiers can bo no longer averted. Tho Emperor is awaiting further advices from his European observers, and only when they assure him the last word has been said will he call on every Abyssinian capable of bearing arms to rally to tho defence of tho country. He believes that even if the entire weight of the Italian forces now assembled in East Africa were to be thrown against him he would be able, by skilfully carried out guerilla operations, to prevent a dqcisive result for the first three months. After that, says the correspondent, Italy is -expected to collapse, economically and financially, under the weight of sanctions, which it is assumed by : then will have been applied. Air raids on Abyssinia will not win a war for Italy, continues Sir Percival. ■ Abyssinia is the only country in the '■ world with a movable capital. The present one has no historic significance ■ and can be readily changed without ; impairing the natives' morale. Tho principal sufferers from air raids , would bo the members of the European community who carry on most of the trade and commerce. SANCTIONS AND SUEZ. Much Speculation on Legal Position. DIRECTORS TO MEET? LONDON, September 29. The "Daily Herald" discloses the fact that a special meeting of the directors of the Suez Canal Company is to be held in Paris at the end of next week to discuss the situation with a view to the possible application of sanctions. Britain will be represented by Earl Cromer and Sir lan Malcolm, and France by M. Doumergue, General Weygand and others. Although the 1888 convention immunised the Canal from naval blockade, internationalised it and declared it open in peace or in war without distinction of flag, many international lawyers hold that Article XX. of the League Covenant, which all international conventions inconsistent with itself, could also abrogate the Canal convention. Further, it is assumed tliaf if the Canal were closed Italian supply ships could bo prevented from penetrating tho Straits of Gibraltar on the alternative route round South Africa. LEAGUE MARKS TIME. DECISION ON OBSERVERS. (Received 1.30 p.m.) GENEVA, September 29. Tho Associated Press special correspondent says that owing to the necessity for considering adverse expert information regarding the difficulties of the Ethiopian terrain, the committee will not reach, until October 3, its decision regarding tho dispatch of neutral observers to Abyssinia. The League will thus mark time for four days, and Mr. Eden will go to London. Tho British delegation cites categorical dateS, beginning in February, in support of a rebuttal of Italy s assertion that she was not warned regarding the Abyssinian adventure. WAR RISK RATE. N.Z. SHIPPING AFFECTED. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 29. The marine underwriters have extended to sailings via Panama the wa J risk rate of 1/0 per ccnt for cargo and a 1/ per cent for specie and have also placed a new rate of 0d per cent on caigo and specie to Australia and Ivew Zealand. DEBATE ARRANGED. / LABOUR AND SANCTIONS. LONDON, September 29. The executive of the Labour party has arranged for its annual conference a debate on Labour's approval or otherwise of the enforcement of sanctions. This will take two days, beginning oil October 1. . Lively developments are anticipated, and if sanctions arc approved Mr. < Jeorgo Lansbury is expccted to offei his resignation.