ITALY ADAMANT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 197, 19 July 1935, Page 9

ITALY ADAMANT

PROCEDURE AT GENEVA. EXPULSION OF ABYSSINIA. OTHERWISE AVILL RESIGN. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received July 19, 9.5 a.m. LONDON, July 18. The Alorning Post’s Rome correspondent says that if the League Council supports the suggestion of a compromise between Italy and Abyssinia as co-equals at Geneva Italy will not tolerate such an assumption of equality. Italy expects the League to expel Abyssinia from Geneva, otherwise Italy will leave the League. AIAINTENANCE OF RIGHTS. REGARD BY BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) Received July 19, 10.54 a.m. RUGBY, July 18. Replying to a question in the House of Commons regarding the maintenance of Abyssinia’s rights as a member of the League of Nations, Air R. A. Eden said His Alajesty’s Government, in endeavouring to further an amicable settlement of the ItaloEthiopian dispute, have had, and will continue to have, full regard for the rights and obligations of States who are members of tlio League of Nations.

A UNITED NATION. ABYSSINIA IN DEFENCE. Received Julv 19, 9.5 a.m. ADDIS ABABA, July 18. Tho Emperor of Abyssinia, addressing Parliament, said that, although Italy possessed all the weapons of modern warfare, she would see Irow a united Abyssinia could defend her territory. The Emperor, reviewing tho troops, said: “God will be your shield. Your Sovereign is with you and will not hesitate to shed his blood in the defence of his country’s independence.” AIEDIATIQN AT GENEVA. EFFORTS BY FRANCE. (Times Cables.) LONDON, July 18. The Paris correspondent of the Times says that the French Government’s efforts are now directed toward persuading Signor Mussolini to state his case at Geneva, and it is admitted that he lias a case. It is'being put to him that if Italy refused it would ho a deadly blow to the League, which might have serious effects on the whole European situation. It is also held that if Italy lias faith in the justice of her cause it is only reasonable to suppose that she will use the League’s machinery to help her solve the crisis. TOLL OF THE HEAT. ITALIANS DYING ADEN, July 18. Forty-nine Italian families arrived aboard a coastal steamer from Djibouti. They were transhipped to an Italian steamer for Italy. An Italian warship is standing by for frontier evacuations.

Intense heat is reported from Eritrea, where 10 to 12 Italian soldiers are said to be dying daily. A large number of sick troops went through Aden on July 16 en route for home. BORDER TROUBLES. REPORT - AT ROAIE. ROAIE, July 18. An official communique alleges that Abvssiniau parties crossed the Abys-sinian-Eritrean frontier and attacked a small Italian outpost at Dol. The attackers were repulsed. Other raiding parties simultaneously penetrated the Aiada Plain, killing and wounding unarmed herdsmen, women, and children, and capturing 4000 head of cattle. The raiders took as slaves several prisoners of both sexes. An Italian detachment sent from Assab’to punish the raiders arrived too late and halted at the Abyssinian frontier in accordance with orders. BRITAIN'S TROUBLES. “ITALY ASTRIDE RED SEA.” The dangers to Indian and Dominion communications, should Italy’s dispute with Abyssinia result in her bestriding tho Red Sea and the possible reaction of the African natives to a war in Abyssinia, are being increasingly realised by British opinion (wrote a London correspondent on July 7). Since the failure of the mission of tire Minister for League of Nations Affairs (Mr R. A. Eden) to Rome, when Signor Mussolini rejected liis suggestion that Britain should offer a strip of British Somaliland to Abyssinia by way of settlement of Italy’s Abyssinian dispute, the British spokesman has been busily explaining that Britain’s obligations to the League of Nations are collective and not individual, which implies parallel action with tlie other countries concerned ; and that, therefore, before taking action, Britain must be sure of the intentions of the other signatories to the League, particularly those of France.

French spokesmen unofficially declare that the Abyssinian dispute is a tenth-rate problem compared with European .problems, and that it would be disastrous if it was allowed to increase European confusion. They state that it would be more practical to allow Signor Mussolini to continue his present bluffing unhindered, and that he will probably 'be glad of friendly mediation by France and Britain at the last moment. In the meantime, the Rumanian Foreign Minister (M. Titulescu) is in London telling British Ministers on behalf of the Little Entente that, so long as France and Britain are opposed, the danger of an Austro-German trade ansclilus becomes more pressing, and the Secretary-General of the League of Nations (M. Avenol) will visit London, it is believed, to sound the Government on its attitude to the League in this crisis. CAMPAIGN OF RIDICULE. Mr Eden is still being subjected to a campaign of ridicule as the result of his mission to Rome. Even the editor of the Observer (Mr Garvin) describes the methods of the ltoine mission as the acme of ineptitude, declaring that it is seldom in British foreign policy that there has been a more maladroit example of how not to do it. He bids Britain to bide her time without embittering her future relations with Italy. The ltotliermere organs point out that Britain is fast losing friends; that Britain cannot be at the same time denuded and deluded, an apostle ol disarmament, and the nagging, bullying “Nosey Parker” of the nations.