AFRICAN DEADLOCK

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1935, Page 5

AFRICAN DEADLOCK

ITALY'S ATTITUDE “ANOTHER PAGE IN HISTORY.’’ ‘(United Press-Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright;. • .... ROME, Jiilv 0. Signor -Mussolini, speaking from a cannot at Salerno declared: “The Italians have always defeated the blacks. Our decision is an irretrievable one. Italy is/writing another page in history." ■. ■• ■Signor Mussolini, referring to Adowa, said. “Four thousand Italians there fought madly against one hundred thousand Ethiopians, hut- the Italian Government>-at that time was more pre-occupied with Parliamentary squabbles than with its troops. To-day all Italy was behind her sons in East Africa. Signor, . Mussolini’s sns Vitoria aged nineteen, .and Bruno, aged seventeen, have recently qualified as pilots They have enlistc-d for service with the Italian Air Force in East Africa. CHALLENGE TO DUEL LONDON, July 7. Captain Fa-nelli, has challenged Major Attlee, British Labour ,M.P., to a'duel in any neutral country with any weapons. He objects to Major Attlee’s, recent remarks in the House of Commons on the Ita'lo-Abyssinian dispute.’- . . t

Major Attlee has declined Captain Fanelji’s challenge: Major Attlee de-clareq.-that duelling is a barbarous and obsolete method of* liquidating quarrels and puts a ..premium on a bully. He explained that'he had only criticised the Italian Government, hut did not- refer to the Italian people. His remarks'' did not exceed the freedom of speech recognised, in Britain. Captain Fanelli is, not satisfied. He is persisting in his challenge.

AMERICA’S POSITION. NEW YORE, July 5. Without waiting for the cabled text of appeal .from Addis Ababa, President Roosevelt, .- is sending a reply pointing out that while his Government is interested in the maintenance of peace in- all parts of the world, “the controversy .which unhappily has arisen' between yo.ur Government and .the Italian Government is now in process of arbitration bv the League of Nations.

A later ’ message from Washington states the United 'States lias deposited the Italo-Ethiopian troubles hack on the other side of the Atlantic, but said that it was loath to believe that either nation would, resort to other than pacific means to,.settle their disputes. The note, which is one the Secreisi.* of State,‘Senator Huss. has sent to the Emperor of Ethiopia, in response to a plea, for the . United States to invoke .the Keliog-Briant Pact, .is interpreted widely as being an. affront to avoid America’s entanglement.

Though declining to interfere, the United States pointed ont that both Italy and Abyssinia signed the l*act of r'iiris. The note suggested the League of Nations was ‘ already arbitrating, and should continue to do so.

BRITISH OPINIONS LONDON. July 7. The close questioning which the Ministers in the Commons underwent yesterday in regard to the tentative offer to, cede a strip of Britsh Somaliland in order to obtain a peaceful settlement in the Italo-Abyssinian dispute, was an indication of the public /interest taken in 'that issue, and the concern which is always shown when •any mention is made of the transference of British, territory. ' The “Times” considers that when it is considered how far the ramifications of the dispute extend, and its possible consequences affecting not oifly thfe peace of the world, but the whole future of the League of Nations, a contribution towards a peaceful solution that Britain was prepared to make, was not unduly high.

The offer having been rejected, it is now a matter of past history, but the British Government are still straining every nerve to‘find a peaceful solution, which can he reconciled with the"principles of the Covenant. Incidentally, the “times” describes as a strong paradox of diplomacy that authoritative 1 forces in Italy should now be advocating the expulsion of Abyssinia from the League, as unworthy to he a member, while the British Government having accepted her membership under FrancoI tali an pressure should find themselves champions of the League principles on her behalf.