ITALY WILL LEAVE LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 49, 26 August 1935, Page 9

ITALY WILL LEAVE LEAGUE

IF SANCTIONS ARE APPLIED

GUILT FOR EUROPEAN WAR

(United Press Association—By Electric Tolecrapli—Copyrts&U I (Received, August 26, 11.30 a.m.) V ' . LONDON, August, 25. Interviewed at the Palazzu Venezia by Mr. Ward Price, the "Daily Mail's" correspondent, Signor Mussolini declared: — , ' "If Geneva votes sanctions against Italy, she will immediately leave the League. Whoever applies sanctions against Italy will meet with her armed hostility. -If the League is so reckless as to expand a colonial campaign into a European war costing tens of millions of lives the guilt would rest on the League. "Nevertheless, I ani sending a delegation to the League Council . meeting on September 4 in order to place Italy's case before the world, supported by documents and photographs. I shall challenge the League to treat Italy on the same footing as Abyssinia after it has considered the evidence. "European nations desiring peace should imitate the United States and leave us to fulfil our mission. Pacifists are the worst foes of peace, because, they-want, to spread a conflict all over the world which has the character of a colonial expedition to create order where order never existed. We shall do nothing to set Europe by the ears, but others must have the same sense of responsibility. Italy has given too many proofs iof her desire to co-operate for her to be .accused of setting a match to a powder train. She.has always stood by the British. ■Empire, not only iv the Great War but at other times when the was aligned against her. "My attitude-will not changq unless Abyssinia gives in." . SANCTION ALTERNATIVES There are possible degrees of sanctions, namely, moral, economic, or military.' Moral sanction might take the form of a vote of 'censure, on which Italy would leave the League and maintain her course, but if the sanctions included a blockade of Italian ports and the closing of the Suez Canal Signor Mussolini declares that Italy would resist.with' all her force by land, sea, and air, regard--ing the closing of the canal as a breach of the Versailles Treaty, in which a canal statute prohibiting blockade is incorporated, but the application of sanctions necessitates a unanimous vote not only by the Council but also by the Assembly, and this would require France's support. Signor Mussolini asserted that the Francpvllalian Agreement oi; . /January 7 settled all outstanding, disputes in France, Tunis, and elsewhere in exchange for a French pledge to leave his hands free in East Africa. '.-..'." '■.'■' "It will take tlie Italian people fifty years to colonise and: civilise Abyssinia, when they will be associates and not antagonists of the British' Empire, which is already associated with our special . rights by treaties," he continued. He pointed out that some of the, Abyssinian arms originated in. Italy, and included Mausers, machine- ; guns, and a million rounds of ammunition which he gave Abyssinia in 1928, disapproving of any hostile intentions to her. , Italy had 44,000,000 people living in a territory whose national , utility was one-fifth of that of France, Only a small part of Libya .V was utilisable. Abyssinia, on the contrary, was three limes the size of Italy, and contained great tracts suitable for settlement and penetxation, and would open up vast new markets and develop unexplored riches. l : V HEALiNG: WOUNDS OF ADOWA , , 'The, wounds, of , Adowa must be healed once and for all," the Diice declared. "The financial condition of Italy does not arouse uneasiness. Our.people will face, any, further sacrifices entailed. Can you wonder that Italy resents an attempt to sacrifice her and restore the prestige of the League, which failed to prevent the Japanese occupation of Manchukuo or the Gran Chaqo war between two of its members? We cannot draw back now. Two hundred thousand Italian rifles in East Africa would go off of themselves. The Italian Administration can do for Abyssinia . , what the;-British have done for India." . ■ The "Daily Mail" in a leader, citing the Ward Price inter- ■ view, declares that Italy means business and will brook no inter- , ference in a campaign which does not concern Britain. The paper discounts further talk of sanctions, which, apart from provoking Avar, would close Britain's best coal markets. % The article adds that the Jingoes are insane,- and demands that strong action should be firmly: resisted. : i