IN THE MAKING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 25

IN THE MAKING.

NEW SITUATION IN

EUROPE.

NEW ZEALAND AT GENEVA.

SOME SUPPORT IN ENGLA3CD.

(By JOHN MULGAN.)

LONDON, May 11

It is an odd fact, end perhaps heartening to those who talk of rebuilding.the League of Nations, that in this year of its bankruptcy it can still -become the main centre of diplomatic events. This week England's eyes have been not on the dictators, speechmaking in Rome, hut on Lord Halifax, tall, melancholy and moet dignified of British diplomats, going down to Geneva to act as sponeor on behalf of tae Chamberlaim Government for the new Italian empire against the almost certain opposition on the League Council of Russia, China, Spain and perhape New Zealand.

The even more melancholy Emperor Haile SiJaesJe hue also gone to Geneva with a team of experts, who include an eminent profeseor of international law from Oxford. Haile Silassie has had a long absence from public notice. He lives quietly at Bath, like any retired army colonel, has grown ill and much olderlooking since this country firet saw him two yeare ago. Hβ -has in England a band of mainly non-political friends who continue to sponeor his interests, the most able of them a well-known African expert, Miss Marjory Perham, whose letters end articles on the extent of opposition to Italy in Abyssinia are widely read. Even "The Times" correspondent agrees that Italy holds only the main roads and garrisoned towns, that trade within the country is almost at a standstill and thet with the rains coming on again now Italy's position may become precarious. Haile Silaseie's resources are limited and most of the help and propaganda thcut ie given on his behalf is gratuitous. Nevertheless, his journal, "The English and Ethiopian News," can be bought any day of the week at Holborn or Oxford Circus.

t Help to Italy Opposed.

Not many people, however, are prepared to look optimistically on the. chances of reviving Abyssinia's, loat cause. On the other hand, a good many are opposed to the policy of giving active help to Italy at this particular point. Air. Neville Chamberlain closed the debate on the Anglo-Italian agreement with an outspoken eulogy of Signor Mussolini: it was drowned in an uproar that did not come entirely from the Opposition benches. Something more obviously advantageous to this country, and a greater lapse of time, -will be necessary before the policy of lending diplomatic, empire-building and possibly financial aid to Italy becomes popular in England.

It is understood that New Zealand has been fighting a diplomatic rearguard action on this point of recognition for some time and that the British Government was anxious, if the Dominions could be got to agree, to recognise Italy's conquest towards the end of last year. Mr. Maleolm Mac Donald's denial of the true state of affairs has not prevented this from being, widely known and commented on in London.

Such an attitude may seem "unrealistic," but it should be remembered that there is widespread support for it inside this country. The Labour party, following on West Fulham, won its tenth by-election last week at Lichfield, which is in the BirminghanuCbamberlain country. For this election the rule forbidding Cabinet Ministers to take part in by-elections had been withdrawn, but this did not suffice to save the seat. May Day in London produced the biggest demonstration that London has yet eeen, with nearly 200,000 people marching to Hyde Park. The presence- of Liberals and Co-operative societies 4n this and their help at these two recent by-elections seems to show that the policy of the "united front" may be forced over the heads of trades union leaders, like Sir Walter Citrine, who have eo far held out. Major Attlee, head ypf the Parliamentary Labour party, has declared for it. Down at Geneva, the Spanish representative, Del Vayo, has been Bending a courier to the League building every two hours with baskets to collect the telegrams and messages of support that are coming in, a great many of them, it is said, from Britain. The New Zealand Government is, then, not entirely alone in it» reactions to the policy of the present British Government.

What Will Mussolini Do? Observers at Geneva report that the atmosphere is not eo entirely pessimistic as might have been expected. The smaller nations, it is true, are terrified after their experiences of the; last few years of any commitments; but quite clearly the whole political situation in Europe, is changing momentously, and the change need not be detrimental to the democracies. The main feature of change hae been the rift between Germany and Italy over Austria and the problem it sets Mussolini of either inarching; ''with,: as -lesser partneir, or of throwing his weight in with England an<l France.. What he i* clearly trying -to; "dp is to achieve a' decisive position of balance. The charge" against;,, present ; British policy is not th%t ■%£ ,jsh»uld offering- Mussolini ;a "way^Out , from the:Rome-Berlin axis/.but thai it sfloufcl.be: <(oing so at the expense of 'Spafn and of: British interests elsewhere.

One echo of Mr. Eden's reeignation ie worth noting. Documents' published by the staff of the Austrian Embassy in Paris —which include, incidentally, a.

memorandum of an offer from Herr Hitler to Dr. Schnussnigg of a part of Czechoslovakia—show that it was over Austria ae much as Spain *hat Eden resigned. Mr. Eden apparently wished to join with the French proposal of economic aid to Austria when the German coup was foreshadowed at the beginning of the year. *"

Lords and Commons. The death of Lord Harlech, at the age of 83, raises a new problem for the British Government since his son, formerly the Rt. Hon. Ormeby Gore, Secretary of State for the Colonies, must now take his seat in the House of Lords. The Under-Secretary (Lord Dufferin) is also in the House of Lords. Indeed, a proportion of Cabinet Ministers unprecedented in modern politics is now outeide the House of Commons. In the Cabinet there are, besides the Lord Chancellor, Lord Halifax, Lord Hailsham, Lord de la Warr, Lord Zetland, Lord Swrnton, Lord Stanhope and now the new Lord Harlech; among iunior Ministers there are Lord Dufferin, Lord Hartington, Lord Feversham, Lord Strathcona and Lord Plymouth. Such a proportion, removing Ministers ae it does from debate and question in the Commone, has already—and particularly in the case of Lord Halifax—aroused comment.