ITALY ANXIOUS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 210, 2 June 1936, Page 9

ITALY ANXIOUS

Better Relations With Britain Sought*

LEAGUE MEETING SOON

Several Possibilities Feared In Rome DIMINUTION OF TRADE .By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received June 2, 1 a.m.) London, June 1. Evidence is reaching London from all quarters of Italy’s anxiety to establish better relations with Britain before the fateful date of Juno IS, when the League faces the accomplished fact of Italy’s conquest of Ethiopia. A reliable authority at Rome says that an atmosphere of optimism has already been created, accompanied by a marked drop in anti-British propaganda. It is difficult, however, to ascertain the facts on which the change is based, for there are no signs from London of any change in the Governmeat's policy against a bilateral agreement outside the League. There is one important factor—namely, fear. Italy fears the effects of Haile Selassie’s visit to London, fears the fusion of anti-Fasdst passion L. England and France, fears that the influence of English religious opinion has been fanned by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s repeated denunciations, and finally, is concerned at the diminution of Italian trade and the gold reserve. These factors may be sufficient to account for Italy’s sudden courtship of Britannia. The “Daily Mail's” Rome correspondent confirms the wave of optimism.

Italy’s reorientation toward Britain is the subject of Press comment at Paris. “Pertinax” opines that British rearmament is the reason for this. The “Petit Parisian's” special corres pondent who has just returned from Rome says: “These last three weeks 1 have been witnessing a change. It is toward London rather than toward Paris that the Italians are moking today. Ir is curious how sensitive is public opinion at Rome to the slightest influence.” ITALY AND LEAGUE Will Leave If Sanctions Remain After June 15 REPORTED INTIMATION TO BRITAIN Paris, May 31. Writing in “L’Oeuvre,” Madame Tabouis states that, despite denials, It is a fact that the Italian Foreign Under-Secretary, Signor Suvich, told the üßritish Ambassador, Sir Eric Drummond, on May 29, that if sanctions are not raised by June 15, Italy will leave the League of Nations. NO SEPARATE TALKS Great Britain and Italy (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, May 31. In commenting on a recent interview which the Italian Ambassador had with Mr. Eden at the Foreign Office, and in the course of which Signor Grand! is understood to have renewed the assurance previously given by the Italian Government regarding respect for British interests in Abyssinia and to have emphasised the desire of .Signor Mussolini to improve AngloItalian relations, newspapers make it clear that there is no question of the opening of separate negotiations between Britain and Italy. British policy from the beginning of the Italo-Abyssinian dispute has been dictated by Britain’s membership of the League of Nations, and, accordingly, no new departure is, or need be, expected until the whole position has come under the review of the League at the next meeting of the Council, which opens on June 16. Press messages from Djibouti report that two members of the British Red Cross unit in Abyssinia, who were stated to have been detained by the Italian military authorities at Diredawa, have been allowed to resume their journey. FUND OF £8,000,000 Development of Abyssinia Rome, May 31. An additional fund of £8,000.000 will be provided for the development of Abyssinia by the Institute of Social Providence and the National Insurance Institute over a period of five years. POPE’S INTENTION Hierarchy in Abyssinia (Received June 2, 1 a.m.) Rome, June 1. It is announced in Vatican circles that the Pope intends to establish a Roman Catholic hierarchy in Abyssinia by the appointment of an Archbishop with six or seven bishops. SELASSIE AT SEA Farewell at Gibraltar (Received June 1, 7.50 p.m.) London. June 1. The “News-Chronicle’s” Gibraltar correspondent says that though demonstrations were officially discouraged, a small crowd warmly farewePed Haile Selassie as he embarked on the Orford for England. Asked whether he would have made p°are earlier if bis hopes of successfully defending Abyssinia had not twen encouraged by Britain, Haile Selassie emphatically answered in the

negative, adding flint illegitimate methods of warfare such as tlie destruction of Red Cross units and the use of poison gas were the deciding factors.

A wireless message from the Orford slates that the Negus, who will stay at the Ritz Hotel in London, had tea in his suite with his family. He afterward camo on deck when the ship was passing tlie Straits of Gibraltar ami was formally received by the captain in his state room.