ABYSSINIAN DISPUTE

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 July 1935, Page 7

ABYSSINIAN DISPUTE

League of Nations Meeting to be Held Within a Week LIKELY BRITISH ATTITUDE FRENCH BACKING EXPECTED (United Pr«B3 Association—By Electrio Telegraph Copyright). Received 1.45 p.m. to-day. RUGBY, July 23. A meeting of tlie League Council will ■be held between July 25 and August 2 to consider the Abyssinian situation, says a message from Paris. It was virtually docided at this morning’s conference between the British Ambassador and M, Laval that the choice of dates will rest with tM. Litvinoff, Missionary societies in London have been warned by the-Government that British missionaries who are scattered TA the very remote districts of Abyssinia should be advised to concentrate in the neighbourhood of Addis Ababa. The missionaries affected, with their wives and families, number less than 100, and if they desire tlra'.t their -wives and families should leave the country suitable arrangements- w r ill be made for their departure. The British Ministers now feel more confident that when the Council meets France will be prepared to back up Britain's efforts for a peaceful settlement. They believe that M. Pierre Laval, French Prime Minister, realises, as they do, that if the present position is allowed to drift into war no European treaties can be regarded las safe. They are still hopeful that war may be avoided by the collective action of the Powers. If that hope is not realised then they are determined that every effort must be made to localise the effects of war to the greatest possible extent.

It is generally felt that the British Government's attitude wtos correctly described by Sir Austen Chamberlain a fortnight, ago -when he said: “In the last resort we will have to anake our decision at the Council table at Geneva, and there take the risk of saying, ‘We are prepared to fulfil our obligations under the covenant if others will do the same.' We ought to say that openly to the Council even at the risk that others will refuse.''

Dr. Ajaz Martin, the new Abyssinian Minister at London, stated his country's case when members of the House of Commons of all parties entertained him at dinner. Dr. Martin declared that the root of the trouble was that, while Italy philanthropically desired to civilise Ethiopia's backward people, the headstrong Ethiopians refused to be Italianised.

The main question wins -whether Ethiopia needed annexation in order to progress.’ He declared that domestic slavery, which "was not the same as it- had been in America, was almost halved. Trade had increased wonderfully. Legal administration had been vastly improved and the law had been codified. A special court of appeal for foreigners had been' established and punishments had been .modified. Proper prisons had been built and prisoners were being better treated. The general administration of Abyssinia had been placed on :a: propeT footing under ten Ministers. The number of schools established by the Government was increasing. Hundreds of miles of roads and scores of bridges had been constructed and thousands of good houses erected. The standard of living had increased tenfold the people’s knowledge of the outer world and of other matters compared with twenty

years ago. Most of this progress bad occurred under the rule of the present sovereign. Ethiopia should be left peacefully to work out her own salvation and attain a high standard of knowledge and of civilisation.

“Ethiopia is in sore travail and anxiety/’ he added, “but Almighty God will deliver her from bloodshed and disorder through British fair play and the sympathy of all lovers of justice.’’ “We will fight in desperation and ruthlessly; men, women and children will defend Abyssinia’s independence and it will be a massacre,’’ replied Mr Tekla Hawariatc, Abyssinian delegate to the League of Nations, when asked at Paris whether Signor Mussolini was facing a stiffer task than he imagined, lie reiterated that Abyssinia would never surrender a strip of her territory. He hintod that special foreign interests justified special concessions being given, but without preference to Italy.