ANXIOUS DAYS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 226, 22 August 1935, Page 7

ANXIOUS DAYS

DOWNING STREET CONFERENCE. “GRAVEST SINCE 1914.” MR MacDONALD’S VIEW. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received August 22, 9.40 a.m. LONDON, Aug. 21. The activity at Downing Street continues. Mr G. Lansbury (Leader of the Opposition) conferred with Sir Samuel Hoare (Foreign Minister). Arriving from Lossiemouth, Mr Ramsay MacDonald said the position was tho gravest we had had to face since 1914. Mr Stanley Baldwin arrived and a meeting with Mr MacDonald, Sir Samuel Hoare, Mr It. A. Eden, Mr Neville Chamberlain, and others was Held immediately.

Well-informed opinion states that the Government has no intention of suggesting an emergency meeting of the League and will continue its diplomatic negotiations until the Geneva meeting on September 4. It is anticipated that at to-morrow’s Cabinet meeting the report on the Paris conversations will be discussed and a general discussion of the situation will follow,' says a British Official Wireless message. Further meetings of Cabinet may be found necessary for the formulating of instructions to the British representatives at the League Council meeting on September 4, and for the question of the export of arms to Italy and Abyssinia.

HIGH COMMISSIONERS. FOREIGN OFFICE CONFERENCE

LONDON, Aug. 21

Mr Lloyd George bad an hour’s interview with Sir Samuel Hoare and Mr R. A. Etlen at the Foreign Office. Afterwards Mr Stanley Bruce (Australia), Sir James Parr (New Zealand), Canada’s acting Commissioner, and tho Egyptian Minister jointly conferred with the Foreign Minister.

COMPLEX_PROBLEM. IMPLICATION OF SANCTIONS

FRANCE AND BRITAIN

(Times Cables,) LONDON, Aug. 21. The Paris correspondent of the Times says: “Only time will show whether the League Council on September 4 will recommend sanctions against Italy. If it does they will be at first passive and economic, consisting of essentially cutting off such supplies of raw materials and credit as are not, cut off already, hut the Council will also have to weigh most carefully the justice of the contention that there is no form of sanction that may not mean war. The risks of applying any kind of pressure on a country in tlie present mood and condition of Italy arc obvious. The most effective measure that could bo used to prevent an Italian conquest of Abyssinia would be the closing of the Suez Canal to Italan ships, but the Council would first have to vote an executive mandate to the Powers possessing the necessary naval forces, namely l'rauee and Britain. From a naval point of view the task of enforcing such a measure is not beyond Britain if she made up her mind, but, with half a million men under training in northern Italy an£ l a French army of only 300,000 designed for quite a different objective, M. Laval may be excused if he exercises tlie utmost caution at Geneva. On the other hand there is no question of the British Government undertaking isolated action. The question of the application of sanctions thus becomes a problem of peculiar complexity.

ITALIAN PREPARATIONS. TO BE INTENSIFIED.

WEATHER IMPROVING

LONDON, Aug. 21

The News-Chronicle’s Rome correspondent says that following reports from East Africa that the rains are ceasing, Signor Mussolini has ordered an intensification of military preparations. Ten thousand troops are sailing from Naples this week in 15 reconditioned liners which were recently bought lor breaking up from England, Canada, the United States and German}’. The Daily Telegraph’s Rome correspondent says that it is estimated that by the end of September Italy will have 1000 aeroplanes. A Treasury statement reveals that the gold reserve lias fallen by another £3,340,000, reaching a new low level of £84,000.000.

The Daily Telegraph’s Rome correspondent says that the Press comments angrily on reports from Cairo that Japanese are doing a roaring trade at Suez with Black Shire doll buttonholes, which are being sold to outgoing troops. The Japanese are also selling them in large quantities in Eritrea and Italian Somaliland.

Each has a favourite Fascist slogan, such as “Long Live Mussolini” or “Abyssinia is Ours.” Newspapers are asking how the Japanese are able to turn them out for one shilling each, whereas they cost almost three times as much at Rome.

AMERICAN NEUTRALITY. DEBATE hT SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20. In the face of reports from London and Paris that the United States will he asked to co-operate with Britain in the Ethiopian crisis, and official denials that the American Government had engaged in any diplomatic discussions on the question, the Foreign Relations Committee introduced in the Senate a neutrality law which Senator lluey Long declared must be passed in view of tire threatening situation in Africa.

Senator Nye said. that he and his group were prepared to stonewall against all pending important New Deal legislation until the passage of the neutrality measure was assured. The Bill would stop the export of arms to all belligerents and would make travel by Americans on ships of belligerent nations at their own risk if the President so proclaimed. Likewise, if the President so decided, submarines of belligerent nations would ho barred from American ports, as well as shipments of supplies for warring nations. There were many fiery speeches. Senator Clark said that without a neutrality policy President Roosevelt would he as powerless to keep the United States out of war as President Wilson was in 1017. Senator Long asserted that Italy

was jumping on Ethiopia just as Austria did on Serbia in 1914.

ADOPTED BY SENATE

COMPREHENSIVE MEASURE.

Received August 22, 9.35 a.m. WASHINGTON, Aug. 21. Tlie resolution designed to safeguard United States neutrality in the event of a foreign war was adopted by the Senate and now goes to the House for action. It includes authority for the President to prohibit United States citizens travelling in ships of belligerent nations, except at tlieir own risk, authority for the President to prevent ships, foreign or American, from carrying men or supplies to belligerent vessels at sea, a mandatory embargo on the export of arms, munitions, and implements of war to all belligerents in a foreign conflict, and a system of licensing munitions manufacture and export as the permanent policy of the Government along the lines of the Geneva Anns Treaty of 1925, ratified earlier in the session by the Senate. It provides for a ban against American ships carrying arms or munitions under the embargo to any belligerents, and authority for the President to restrict or prohibit the entry of belligerent submarines into American waters or ports.

BRITISH RED GROSS. PLANS UNDER WAY.

Received August 22, 12.40 p.m. LONDON, Aug. 21. The News-Chronicle says that laird Dawson of Penn and other eminent doctors interested are planning to send a British Red Cross expedition to Abyssinia. An appeal for funds will shortly be launched to send two units, comprising 24 doctors and 100 orderlies, ambulances and hospital equipment. An American, Dr. Torrance, is organising the Abyssinian Red Cross and is being assisted bv gifts of medical supplies from leading American drug firms. Tlie Daily Mail’s Addis Ababa correspondent says:—lt is understood that a meeting of Ministers and tribal chieftains decided on a general mobilisation. Recruiting is being speeded up. Two further divisions have been sent to the Italian frontier.

THE DATE FIXED. ITALIAN STATEMENT NAMES

SEPTEMBER 12

TO COMMENCE HOSTILITIES.

From tlie capital of Abyssinia came an ominous message to the Sydney Sunday Sun reading: “The sands are running out and the temptation of the country’s leaders to strike before Italy is ready is very great 1 In six ■weeks the rains will have ceased. The ground will then permit of military operations,” says this journal of August 11. Italian official sources estimate that 83,000 Abyssinian soldiers are already in position on the Kritrea front and 30,000 on the Somaliland front ill readiness to attack the Italian colonies opposite them. The Italian statement of Abyssinian troop concentrations actually names the date of the proposed attack—September 12. Two other significant items received were:—(l) An Abyssinian mission has left for Japan allegedly empowered to arrange a military alliance; and (2) a German officer’s warning that a successful Italian campaign will require half a million men, last four years, and absorb money like water. ABYSSINIA’S TRENCHES READY.

It asserts that the Abyssinians have trenches, redoubts, pontoon bridges, dumps and arsenals ready or being hastily completed. They have established bases at Gondar, Adowa, and Malale all ready for action against Eritrea. They have a base near Sidamo for >use against Somaliland and bold, between those two general positions, the high central country around Harar and Jijiga, which is a sector of supreme value not only because it strategically controls the Ogaden country but also from it forces can be sent to either front.

In addition it gives the Abyssinians the inside position while the Italian armies are separated by the whole extent of Fralico-Britisli territory. It can serve also as a pivot of manoeuvres for the Abyssinians if they launch an offiensive either to the north or south. The Giornalc d’Ttalia asserts that Harar and Jijiga arc centres for supplies flowing through British Somaliland from the ports bf Zeila and Berbera. Giornalc also publishes a secret mobilisation order allegedly issued, to the Abyssinian chiefs on July 26 instructing' them to have their men armed and ready bv September 12 to depart for the specified points within three days.