HALF ABYSSINIA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 101, 9 April 1936, Page 5

HALF ABYSSINIA

as Peace Offering POSSIBLE TERMS Eden and Flandin Have a Disagreement DIVERGENCE AT GENEVA (By Telegraph—Pi ess Assn.. Copyright.) LONDON, April 8. The “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent believes that France and Britain will ask Baron Aloisi if Italy is prepared to accept half of Abyssinia, in which case sanctions will be lifted. It is the British view that it is moi'*, urgent to end the slaughter of the virtually defenceless Abyssinians. It is reported that at the private meeting of the Committee of Thirteen, after Mr. Eden hud raised the question of the use of poison gas, M. Flandin retorted that the League should also inquire into the Italian accusations that the Abyssinians were using dumdum bullets and mutilating prisoners. A direct clash between Mr. Eden and M. Flandin did not occur, but delegates when leaving the meeting expressed the opinion that the British and French policies remain divergent. Immediately the meeting opened at 11 a.m. Mr. Eden raised the poison gas issue, energetically pointing out that Italy and Abyssinia had both signed the 1925 anti-gas convention, which does not permit exceptions in any circumstances.

Mr. Eden added that the employment of gas by Italian aviators raised the question whether international conventions were of any value whatsoever. He asked whether the League Secretariat had received any messages from the Red Cross authorities at Geneva.

The meeting adjourned until 4 p.'tn. to enable M. A vend, Secrotary-General, to make the necessary inquiries. The Mexican representative, who presided at the committee of experts on oil sanctions, has sent a letter to Sonor Vasconcellas, chairman of the Sanctions Committee, protesting at the delay in the application of further sanctions against Italy and disclaiming responsibility for measures such as the proposed conciliation, which held up further sanctions.

The British report on the use ot poison gas included the evidence of the British doctors Molly and Macfie and the Irish doctor Brophil, and a statement by Dr. .Tuned, of the tiilernalioual Red Cross, showing that they treated large numbers of cases of wounds caused by gas. Mr Eden, raising the question of peace efforts, said that five weeks had elapsed since M. Flandin’s appeal ehat both parties should have recourse to conciliation within the framework ot the League. There had been no progress; on the contrary they had been intensification of the war. “We must have an immediate cessation of hostilities and negotiation,” he said.

M. Flandin urged the Committee not to rush matters. He said that France was of the opinion that the cessation of hostilities should be followed by the raising of sans-' tions. Mr Eden drily replied that there was no danger of the Committee’s being accused of rushing the question. The Committee then instructed Senor do Madariaga to contact Baron Aloisi, the Italian representative. While the Committee of Thirteen was meeting, the Italian Cabinet assembled unexpectedly to hear Signor Mussolini review the the African and European situations. A bulletin state'j that the total casualties to March 30 were:—ltalians: Killed: 984; missing, 49; died of illness, 589. Natives: Killed, 979. The British United Press correspondent at Rome states: “After the meeting of Cabinet it was learned that Signor Mussolini told Ministers that the Abyssinian armies must be completely crushed without delay in order to assure the security of Italian colonies. He lauded the Ashangi victory because it was at the expense of the Emperor’s specially-trained guards. Likewise he paid tribute to the Italians’ determined resistance of the effects of sanctions.