WHERE ITALY STANDS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 151, 27 May 1935, Page 7

WHERE ITALY STANDS.

DEFENCE OF FRONTIER

DUCE STILL TURBULENT

ROME, May 25.

“Arbitration must be limited to Labial,” said the Prime Minister, Signor Mussolini, in the Chamber amid the cheers of Deputies. He added: Nobody must cherish the hope that they can alter the Abyssinian situation by levelling a pistol and firing it at us in the event of European complications. “AVe have been watching the situation since 1925. and know that European nations have been furnishing arms to Abyssinia since 1930. “Ualual is an alarm bell, indicating a menacing situation. Those who falsely criticise Italy’s precautionary measures are foolish if they think that such manoeuvres will stop or that ve will delay measures we consider necessary. AVe are ready to face firmlv all responsibilities, even the greatest. Signor Mussolini said that to those who "wish to concentrate Italy s attention to the defence of tho Brenner frontier against Germany in order to interfere with our mobility, we saj Austria’s independence is both ait Austrian and a European problem,, but particularly Italian. Italy’s frontiers, whether of the colonies or otherwise, must bo defended against every menTHE HITLER SPEECH. Signor Mussolini said that Herr Hitler’s thirteen points could neither be accepted nor rejected en bloc, they must be clarified and examined, a task which would possibly be undertaken through diplomatic channels m the next few weeks. . .

The only problem compromising Italo-German relations was Austria, but it was fundamentally important. Tho recent \ 7 enice conference had indicated that tho Austro-Hungarian demands would not prevent the success or tho Danubian conference to which Germany was being invited. . Referring to Germany’s remtroduc : tion of conscription, Signor Mussolini declared it was useless to indulge in recriminations regarding Germany s change in attitude after her readiness to accept an armaments limitation on the lines of the Italian memorandum of January, 1934. He added: “It is hard to believe m the possibility of a limitation of armaments or the prohibition of war, but it a concrete offer is made we must not introduce difficulties.” His speech was received with tumultuous applause and the singing of the Fascist anthem. . . . The Chamber decided the importance of the declaration warranted its being posted up in evel ~ Italy. _