COMMONS AND ABYSSINIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 July 1935, Page 7

COMMONS AND ABYSSINIA

SANCTIONS AND WAR LEADERS’ HEATED EXCHANGES [BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, July 12. Speaking on the Foreign policy debate in the Commons, the Minister for League of Nations Affairs, Mr Anthony Eden, said: The conciliation machinery having broken down, the Government has been in consultation with the French Government regarding Abyssinia. There has been no invitation on our part to France to join in economic sanctions against Italy. Britain’s endeavour was to discover whether France had any constructive suggestion to make to promote a settlement of the dispute. We have made our contributions. It is France’s turn to make lier’s. Sir H. Samuel (Liberal) said that some utterances of Signor Mussolini were sinister, but, perhaps, they might see the Duce at the eleventh hour agree to a plan which would enable him to go to the Italians as a statesman who had achieved peace with honour. Britain ought not to leave Italy in ignorance of feeling here if action were taken cutting at the root of the principle of collective security. Mr Lloyd George said that the League of Nations had been flouted ■repeatedly, and no action had been taken. He described the S-tresa Agreement as “a fatuous piece of bluster.” He added: We must begin afresh, and see if it is possible to devise some covenant by which the nations would stand, and civilisation be saved. There was a dramatic passage when Mr Lloyd George was asked what could be done to stop Germany from re-arming and to stop Italy. , He replied: Economic sanctions, short of war!

Sir Austen Chamberlain: It is no good talking about economic sanctions unless you mean war! (Conservative cheers).

Mr Lloyd George: Then what is the good of putting those words into a Geneva resolution? (Labour cheers). Sir Austen Chamberlain: Mr Lloyd George says that he would never have allowed the situation to reach the present stage. Would he have proposed to the French —who never proposed it to us—that France’s army should have marched into Germany when it became evident that Germany was rearming? At this there were cries of “Answer!”

Mr Lloyd George, instead of answering, shouted: What do you mean by economic sanctions? Sir Austen Chamberlain: A blockade which is effective as an act of war! Nothing short of war can make economic sanctions effective! Mr Winston Churchill said he was glad to hear that Britain was not going to act individually. Britain was not strong enough to act both as the law giver and as the policeman of the world. Major Attlee submitted an anti-Gov-ernment resolution. He said that Sir Samuel Hoare’s speech was retrograde, showing no clear policy. It was nothing’ but temporising and parleying with forces of disorder throughout the world. There was no attempt to make Europe stand up for the rule of law against the rule of force. Major Attlee’s motion was negatived by 236 votes to 40.

LIBERAL DEMAND. LONDON, July 12. The “Manchester Guardian” (Liberal) says: There is not a single definite statement what the Government intends to do in Abyssinia. A League commission should inquire into .the whole business and prove to Italy that she cannot buy land for expanding population at the price qf all that the world gained knowledge and experience of in the Great War. RECEPTION ON CONTINENT LONDON, July 12. The Continent speedily received full reports of Sir S. Hoare’s speech on the British foreign policy. In Rome, the first reaction is a sense of satisfaction that Italy's need for expansion is being recognised, but there is disappointment felt that there is no definite statement forthcoming regarding the British Government’s intentions. One important matter, from the Italian standpoint, is tha* Britain now win cease to give her support to Abyssinia, which support encourages hostility., It js realised that Britain desires a return of the Siresa solidarity, and that the mistrust on the continent has not been dispelled, so that, therefore Britain must tread warily. “La Tribune” says: We are in Africa, and we shall remain! We are not going to Geneva, which will mean only new complications. The general impression is that the speech is favourable to Italy. BERLIN. July 12. The “Tageblatt” prints Sir S. Hoare’s speech on the front page without comment. Hitler has been supplied with a careful translation of Sir S. Hoare’s speech. Until he studies it, in consultation with his advisers, otlicial circles are reluctant to comment. The Press considers that the speech demonstrates that the Siresa front is not broken, and is a warning to Germany not to presume too much on the naval agreement. PARIS. July 12. French diplomatic quarters state that there is an impression of an exl.remely favourable conception underlying Sir S. Hoare’s utterance, which is regarded us coinciding with the French attitude. VIENNA. July 11. The Press unanimously welcomed Sir S. Hoare’s appeal to Hitler to 1 negotiate pacts. MUSSOLINI’S ADDRESS. ROME, July 12. Signor Mussolini, addressing 120 of the Black Shirt generals and higher grade officers on the eve of their departure for East Africa, emphasised that Italy was determined to a: rive i at a full settlement of the Abyssinian i quarrel. Both from the viewpoint of i her prestige and her national interest. ;he said. Italy could not remain at the mercy of Abyssinian disorderlines.s ,and provocative truculence. ... ANOTHER "INCIDENT.” j LONDON. July 11. “The Times’s” Rome correspondent

says: There have been new incidents : _ at Harra.r. These - include that of ’■ »Abyssinian natives stoi|ing an. Italian - I native soldier who attached to the ? ? ’ Italian Consulate there. Against this , ■ Italy has officially protested. The in- .■ cidents have led to a notable hard*. ening of. Italian opinion in the last . 24 hours, and the popular belief now is fixed- that a settlement is only possible through arms. ■ . k - ■ -v " U.S.A/ INQUIRIES. : WASHINGTON, July 11. Suddenly changing its attitude, the .y-; United States Administration to-day... appeared to be taking an active interest in the Italian-Ethiopian crisis, and to be prepared to exercise its influence to preserve peace. When the Italian Ambassador, Sig- r - nor Rossi, called, at the State Department to discuss routine matters, prior to a brief visit to Italy. Senator Hull (Secretary of State) took occasion to inform him of America’s misgivings yregarding the situation, and urged him to try to settle the dispute through the League of Nations. Later, Mr Hull called on M. De Laboulays (French Ambassador), and Sir R. Lindsay (British Ambassador), at separate conferences, with a .request for information regarding press reports to the effect that their Governments were preparing a tri-party conference with Italy; but both Ministers declared that they were without any such information. In some quarters this is taken as an indication that the American Government might participate in such a conference, if it were invited, and that in any event, it is prepared to give moral support to any peace moves. DUEL CHALLENGE. * LONDON, July 12. Captain Fanelli, who on July 7 challenged to a duel Major Atlee (Labour M.P.) for the latter’s criticism of Italy’s policy towards Abyssinia, has > now received from Edward Dickinson, of London, a challenge to duel with .. Dickinson. Dickinson states he wishes to take Major Atlee’s place. In a letter to Captain Fanelli, Dickinson says: “As a duel is evidently your idea of satisfaction, I trust you will allow an Englishman jealous of his country’s history and traditions to take up the challenge. I trust that you will speedily reply, enabling suitable arrangements to be made.” Captain Fanelli is at present absent from Rome. His friends say that he is unlikely to accept the challenge of Dickinson, as his quarrel was with - Major Atlee. Mr Dickinson is well built, and six feet in height. He is living in Highbury. In an interview he. said: .“If this fire-eating fellow wants to eat fiiie, I will give it to him to eat. He can have a choice of weapons.” Dickinson lived in Australia for 17 years.