A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 127, 22 February 1939, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

No More Concessions It is reported from Loudon iliut the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons lias decided that the period of concessions to Germany and Italy has ended. Lord Halifax advocates a stronger line in dealing with the units of the Geriuan-Italian-Japan-ese axis. "The last submission [Czechoslovakia’s dismemberment J comes as the culmination of a long series of collaborations and negotiations with the totalitarian states; of concessions, •conciliations,' forbearances and submissions made first to Japan, then to Italy, then to Germany,” writes Sir Norman Angell. "We had accepted the machine-gun-ning of ambassadors, the sinking of British ships, the drowning of British sailors, the ‘recognition’ of the Abyssinian conquest two years after we bad declared it to be a crime; winked at piracy; withheld from the Spanish Government its normal right to secure material for its defence, and for two years we acquiesced (through the gross farce of non-intervention) in the despatch of whole armies to its enemies: put the League in cold storage because its active support or application might be unwelcome to the totalitarian powers. . . "We have in the past surrendered again and again to totalitarian power, ceding position after position. . . Had there been co-operation between Britain. Russia, and the United States as early as 1931, China would almost certainly have opposed such resistance as to render impossible the further advances of Japan which took place six years later, and a serious ebeck to japan, rendering Russia more formidable. would have rendered the European totalitarians far less reckless. . . •” Mr. F. H. La Guardia

Mr. F. H. La Guardia, mayor of New York, advocates selling Britain mid France all the planes they need and giving them discount. It is given to few mayors to have had such a varied earner as Mr. La Guardia. Short (about live feet in height) and stout, he is a human dynamo in action. His occupation of the mayoral office in New York has meant the cleaning up of the city from the corrupting influence of Tammany Hall.

When only 19, he was in the United Stales of America consular service. Before leaving, he bad been at Budapest. Finnic, and Trieste. lie is a remarkable linguist, his stock of languages including English, Italian, French. German. Yiddish, Hungarian, Serbian, and Croatian.

He was appointed interpreter at Ellis Island, the landing-place of immigrants to the United States, and he studied law. Ills first public office was -as Deputy Attorney-General of New York State, and since then he has held a public office continually, except for the period of the Great War, when he was a major in the aviation corps on the Italian front. Returning to the United States lie was elected to Congress, and in 1933 caused a sensation by winning the eleclion for mayor of New York. 'When he took office he cleaned out one “wellpadded” sinecure after another. As commissioners of the various departments be appointed specialists. He improved housing, health centres, playgrounds, parks. He is pithy, direct, hard-working, unafraid, radical. Last year he caused anger in Germany by bis outspoken references to Herr Hitler and bis methods. Tour De France The French authorities, it is reported, are barring Italians from competing in the Tour de France cycle race. Tfliis race is known as "Europe’s maddest race.” The originator of it is Henri Desgranges, director and owner of "L’Auto.” Excessively complicated rules are devised, among other things ta ) to earn the most money for all concerned : (b) to enhance the circulation of "L’Aulo”; (c) to keep the competitors hard at it, interest to be maintained by intermittent stunts, and to prevent their cheating: (d) to ensure the predominance of the national team over any solo peddlers daring to challenge;' lei to satisfy constructors of the chief makes .of cycle (f) to enable the greatest volume of publicity "ballyhoo” to be pul over. The distance of the race is 2700 miles. Io be covered in 21 days’ pedalling. with four rest days after the most gruelling climbing. The; general course is: I’aris-Lille-Metz-Beifort-Evian-Gre-noble-Nice-Moiitpellier-Perpigiian-Pau - Bordeau-Rennes-Caen-Paris. The shorten! day's run, GO miles, longest just under 200. The race is conducted under two Classifications, ope contest being between ihe men themselves and a second between the national teams. The ollieial prize money amounts to about £3OOO. i ompetitors from ea I ch nation pay their winnings into a common fund and divide the total nt the cud according to a schedule agreed upon before starting. ’l’h us Ihe leader of a national string will draw considerably more than one who Ims acted merely as pacemaker or "helper.’’ The official funds are aiigmeuled by "advertising rewards” from firms and may amount to more than £13.000. The Mediterranean Much space is devoted by a German « riter to .-in examination of the British I rude route.* » Inch are most vital to Britain. Special emphasis is placed on the Mediterranean Sea. The culling of Ihe Suez Canal made I he Mediterranean Sea the main artery o. .’he British Empire. With Gibraltar and Aden firmly in British hands, with Malta as a midway fortress, and with Sm z protected by the control of Egypt, ihe British route was assured. It was further strengthened at the beginning of the present century by’a firm understanding with France. After the Grea’t War. the jsirtition of the Turkish Empire ami the withdrawal of Russia from the Mediterranean scene, left Great Britain in undisputed possession. Then within recent years the challenge to British superiority came from an unexpected quarter—ltaly. From 1935. the period of the Abyssinian cam- 1 p. the challenge has been keen. In every Italian school bangs a map showing the Roman Empire in the zenith of its strength, and the people are constantly exhorted to make Ihe MediterTanean Sea tin “Italian sea” once more. The main interest of Great Britain in the Meili terra nea n is the freedom of communications with India and the Far East. A substantial part of Britain’s exports and imports travel by this route. Though the bulk of it might be diverted to the ocean route round the Cape, as it was during the Great War. Britain would not willingly abandon tte immense Imperial interests which unve grown up around Ihe Medilerninenn- route —Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, British Somaliland.