RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 71, 17 December 1935, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events

(By

Kickshaws.)

Those peace terms, it is contended, would wreck the League. A whole League, after all, is miles better than even half a A bullock at Pukekohe is reported to have eaten a wire. The Post Office authorities have evidently made them too attractive. It is stated that Sir Samuel Hoare is suffering from a nose out of joint, but we understand unofficially that it is only badly twisted.

“Could any reader tell me whether New Zealander Samuel Butler, the author of ‘Erewhon,’ was related to the Samuel Butler who was born iu 1612 and who wrote ‘Hudibras’? If they were, did any members of the Butler family other than the two Samuels acquire fame in any direction?” asks “1.M.P.”

In order to produce supplies of raw materials that are glutting the world elsewhere, Mussolini has embarked upon a wretched war in Abyssinia costing his country millions of pounds a week. He has involved Europe, if not the whole world, iu a series of crises, any of which may lead to war. One may well ask what Mussolini hopes to get out of Abyssinia, when or if he gets into it. In the first place, it is said that Italy requires room for expansion. That may be so. Even optimists do not put the expansion possibilities of Abyssinia at over 1,000,006 Italians. It is a fact that Italy is increasing at the rate of over 1,000.000 people every three years. One may well ask if Mussolini, the naughty boy of Europe, is given a free gift of Abyssinia, what will he want next? At the present rate he will want an Abyssinia every three years. It is obvious, therefore, that weakness or hesitation at the present juncture on the part of the League is bound to lead to far graver and far more enduring troubles. If ever there were a time to take up a strong stand it is now. It will be too late later on.

Taking up a strong attitude about the methods employed by Italy does not mean that one can ignore the need for elbow room as it affects the nations of the world. The League of Nations cannot pursue a static policy for all time. There must be change. Possibly give and take will be part of the negotiations expected of the League. Something will have to be done about the 90 million Japanese, the 70 million Germans, the 40 million Italians, and the 30 million Poles. The fact remains, however, if those nations who already own two-thirds of the world tacitly admit that a policy of aggression is the only solution then those Japanese, those Germans, those Italians and those Poles will become aggressive. This will mean war. Indeed it will mean one war after another with an occasional world war. That,then, is the future that the Paris Plan is offering, not us. but our unborn children, if ever there were a time to insure the heritage of those coming it is now. Are we to condone everlasting war or shall we by taking strong action at the correct time make it possible to discuss plans for the future round a table instead of round a battlefield?

So far as the partitioning out of Abyssinia is concerned it-is as well to remember that the country is divisible into three zones. The high zone, land above 8000 feet, is unsuitable for Europeans if they have to work. Continued living at those altitudes produces deterioration in the stock. The zone between 8000 feet and 4800 feet is suitable for colonisation by Europeans. This zone corresponds with the central plateau of Abyssinia. It gives place to the third zone of Danakil, Aussa, and Ogadeu. This area is quite unsuitable for occupation by Europeans. The shade temperature is sometimes 150 degrees inside a tent. Perhaps the most important fact is that it will not be possible to colonise any zones until Abyssinia is subdued. It took the French 25 years to do this in Morocco. It took the Italians 20 years to do so in Libya. Moreover the native population iu the last-named area was a bare quarter of a million. Once subdued, a matter perhaps of the next quarter of a century, Abyssinia has to be made fit for colonisation It costs at least £2OOO a mile to make even a third-rate road in many parts of Abyssinia. » ♦ *

Let us assume that it would take a quarter of a century for Mussolini to make Abyssinia a fit place for colonisation. Let us ignore the cost, many, many millions. Let us ignore the fact that the Abyssinians would thwart him at every occasion. We cannot ignore the fact that in a quarter of a century there will be 8,000,000 more Italians requiring elbow room. It would appear that if it is room for expansion that Mussolini requires he has set himself the task of conquering a couple of hundred thousand square miles of territory every three or four years. There is, however, one definite assumption it is possible to make in regard to Abyssinia. There is little doubt that if and when Italy has conquered that area it can supply many important foodstuffs at present lacking in Italy. Some experts declare that in ten years’ time the place could be made to supply all the wheat requirements of Italy. Indeed subsequent to that Italy would have to find outside markets for her surplus wheat.

It must be accepted, therefore, that by spending millions and millions ot pounds iu Abyssinia Italy could make herself self-supporting in wheat. She could not solve her expansion problem. She is gambling on supplying her own market with other raw materials, especially minerals, but little is known of Abyssinian supplies, or bow much the countries contain. In order to carry out these plans Italy would have to sell herself to the financiers. They are the only people with sufficient money to make Mussolini’s dream come true. The colonisation position in Italy is not the same as that of Britain. The problem that confronted Britain was what to do with the thousands of millions of money that she had accumulated. She was well able to finance all her own colonisation schemes. Italy cannot do that. She must borrow and borrow for all time. I’erhaps, though, the real reason for the conquest ot Abyssinia is to gain a strategic footing in East Africa. Whoever conquers Abyssinia gains a fortress as large as Spain and a mile high, dominating the Red Sea and the Nile Valley. Moreover, onee installed no modern weapons could budge the defenders—except, in. the case of Italy, cutting of her sea communications.

“E.M.K.”: Your inquiry ’.s receiving attention, but it is not possible ever to give answers without a delay that varies with the time required to make those inquiries. Some inquiries necessitate hours of work. Some inquiries have to be referred to admitted experts. They willingly give their time but cannot always do so right away.