SANCTIONS TO BE RESISTED

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21581, 18 September 1935, Page 13

SANCTIONS TO BE RESISTED

Mussolini Boasts Of Strength A "JUST PEACE" WANTED hint of formidable SECRET (UNITE!* PUESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT./ (Received September 17, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, September 17. The Paris' correspondent of the "Daily Mail" says Signor Mussolini, interviewed by the Rome correspondent of "Le Matin," said: "Italy likes and wants peace, but only if it is founded on justice. Otherwise she will go straight ahead. This is not a poker game, but Italy possesses a vital card, and will play it. "No hostile act against any European nation will come from our side, but if an act of war is committed against us, then there will be'war. "Italy does not wish war, but she is not frightened of it. We have 1,000,000 men mobilised, and I have only to make a sign and you will see a most formidable manifestation of a nation's will—namely 10,000,000 men mobilised in one day. Something still more extraordinary will be seen if an attempt is made to apply military sanctions against us."

SEVERE CRITICISM OF MUSSOLINI

"THE TIMES" OUTSPOKEN i _ EVEN DEMAGOGY DEPENDENT ON PUBLIC OPINION LONDON, September 16. "The Times," in a leading article, savs: *'ll Duce defends his determination to proceed with the most deliberate and most unnecessary war in modern history by reference to Italy's huge efforts and sacrifices; in other words, lavish preparations to invade Abyssinia. At the same time, he advances the menace of 'preponderating Abyssinian forces, which is a violently paradoxical description of the primitive community's measure to reply to imminent aggression., "His irrefutable documentation of the Italian case canno|: establish the right of aggression as: being more sacred than the Italian pledges of peace. Mussolini launches Italy upon his adventure and turns his back on his obligations and upon the dissent and disapproval of the civilised world. Demagogy, no less than democracy, cannot escape recourse to public opinion in the end."

WOMEN'S APPEAL TO MUSSOLINI GENEVA, September 16. The Peace Committee of Women's International Organisations, with a membership of 50,000,000 in 60 naj tions, has telegraphed to Signor I Mussolini urging him to choose the new and nobler way of international co-operation as an action worthy of Italy's civilising mission. POLES WALK OUT OF ASSEMBLY OBJECTIONS TO SOVIET REMARKS M. LITVINOFF CONCILIATORY GENEVA, September 16. Immediately after Mr de Valera had concluded his appeal to the League Assembly, the Polish Foreign Minister, M. Joseph Beck, astonished the assembly by departing from the subject to interpret as damaging to international relations a reference made by M; Litvinoff on Saturday to the Polish policy of bilateral pacts. When M. Litvinoff rose to reply, all the Polish delegates walked out. M. Litvinoff calmly concluded his speech by pointing out that Russia always clarified her policy, which Poland was perfectly entitled to discuss.

The special correspondent of the Associated Press comments: "Walking out has become too facile a method of expressing disapproval. The incident terminated with the impression that the conciliatoriness of M. Litvinoff's speech made the Poles look sheepish, especially considering their determination to prejudge it unheard." Greater gravity attaches _to the quarrel between Lithuania and Germany, consequent on Herr Hitler's references to Memel on September 15.