Bay of Plenty Times. EVENING DAILY THURSDAY, MAY 21st., 1936 ITALY’S FANCY FIBS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 12028, 21 May 1936, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times. EVENING DAILY THURSDAY, MAY 21st., 1936 ITALY’S FANCY FIBS

Mussolini perhaps shows some wisdom in rushing matters in connection with Abyssinia, but in the end his gains are likely to be very small. Mussolini has disposed of Abyssinia to his own satisfaction, but the real arbiters of Abyssinia’s fate is the world, or perhaps to be more precise, the League of Nations. President Prederzoni, in a feverish speech in the Senate, was very severe on sanctions, from which it is reasonable to infer that sanctions are hurting Italy much more severely than the Italian authoi’ities care to admit. But the interesting part of Prederzoni’s speech was the following; “Italy has won both military and political triumphs. Let anyone wishing to prevent Italy returning to the work of peace and reconstruction face their responsibilities.” Marchese Marconi, in his speech said: “Italy would resent any at-, tempt to deprive her of her new empire won in the teeth of sanctions, which were the most senseless and most immoral events in history. ” But why all this sword-rattling? No one expects to yield up Ethiopia without a struggle. The history of the Abyssinian campaign is no credit to Italy, indeed it casts the greatest discredit on her. Italy was one of the signatories of the League covenant, yet she treated the covenant as a scrap of paper and attacked Abyssinia. Italy was declared the aggressor, and the League punished her by imposing economic sanctions. Sanctions are still in force, and Italy is still branded the aggressor. How can the League accept the Italian conquest of Abyssinia without taking further action? We will know something after the middle of next month when the League resumes its session. In the meanwhile it is significant that Prance is releasing the conscripts called up in connection with the defence of the Rhine frontier. A Socialistic Prime Minister will be at the head of the French Government in the course of a fortnight, and there is a great gulf between Socialists and Fascists. The British Foreign Secretai-y, Mr Anthony Eden, has had many interviews with League member countries, and lie must know their views particularly the views of the smaller nations who are most affected by Italy’s action, which in effect amounts to “Might is Right.” Italy vanquished Abyssinia through a callous disregard of the laws of war as arranged in recent treaties. The use of mustard gas was outlawed yet that was Italy’s principal weapon against the Ethiopians. The gas was used, according to Italian accounts, as reprisal for Ethiopian atrocities in using dnm dum bullets which were said to have been supplied by British firms. It is now seen to be an Italian “frameup,” a tissue of Italian lies respecting which Italy will hear more. The bombing of Red Cross hospitals was another of Italy’s deliberate atrocities. Can the world overlook Italy’s discredit-

*ible performance ami unwarranted methods of warfare against a primitive black race ! Italy has a price to pay, and she is warning the nations not to exact payment. Nothing seems surer than that Italy will be forced to defend hexnew Roman Empire, when it will not be primitive black people that she will have to fight.