BRITAIN UNYIELDING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 298, 3 December 1935, Page 7

BRITAIN UNYIELDING

ATTITUDE ON OIL BAN Peace Negotiations First TALKS ON THE CONTINENT (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received 3, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 2. The “Sun-Herald” news service says that though there is not the slightest weakening of the British attitude to oil sanctions in conformity with League of Nations obligations, the position after a special meeting of Cabinet to-day, is that if they can be avoided Britain will avoid them. A further attempt to initiate peace overtures will he made prior to the Committee of Eighteen’s oil meeting on December 12.

Newspapers again are giving prominence to M. Laval’s attempts to secure peace to which new interest is given by the “Morning Post’s” report that Sir Samuel Hoare will shortly spend a brief holiday on the Continent and is expected to visit M. Laval and otuer statesmen next week to discuss the oil embargo and tho possibility of fruitful peace talks.

The “Manchester Guardian’s” Paris correspondent says that “Le Temps” prints a message from Home suggesting that “Italy is thoroughly frighteued of an oil embargo and accordingly is prepared to negotiate.” Nevertheless the Committee of Eighteen must be satisfied that such negotiations are genuine and not merely an attempt to postpone the decision on oil sanctions.

“The Times” Paris correspondent says: “The fact that, on second thought, Signor Mussolini is prepared to regard an oil embargo as no more than evidence of unfriendliness has caused general relief. While Rome denies that there ever was any question of treating extension of sanctions as a causus belli, informed opinion here knows better.

“Support for the belief that M. Laval has not minced words in his warning to Signor Cerutti that attack on Britain would bring France to her side is shown by the firmer tone of tho newspapers in the last 48 hours.” The “Daily Mail’s” Paris correspondent says: “M. Laval, during his conversation with Signor Cerutti, explained that France could not avoid common action on oil sanctions with other Powers, but suggested that if Italy offered to halt her troops on a given line in Abyssinia pending continuance of peace negotiations, which could then be actively pushed on, postponement of oil sanctions might be possible.”

INITIATIVE NOT CANADA’S The Oil-Ban Proposal OTTAWA, Dec. 2. According to a statement by the acting-Prime Minister, Mr Ernest Lapointe, to-night, Dr. Walter Riddell was expressing his own personal opinion and not the views of the Canadian Government when he suggested on November 2 at Geneva to the League of Nations Committee that sanctions against

Italy should be extended to include oil, coal and their by-products, iron and steel.

Mr Lapointe in a statement said that the Premier, Mr Mackenzie King, had announced on October 29 that Canada would comply with the financial and economic sanctions programme set forth by the League Co-ordination Committee. Mr Lapointe added: “The Government is not taking aud does not propose to take the initiative iu proposing extension of measures with regard to prohibition of exports to Italy.”

At Geneva, M. Vaseoneellos, referring to the Canadian repudiation of initiative iu oil and other proposed sanctions, expressed the opinion that the work of the Committee of Eighteen would not be affected. The first indication of a change In the Canadian policy was noticed a few days ago when the delegation requested that tho oil embargo should not be described as a “Canadian proposal.” Other delegates are surprised at the Ottawa announcement.