ITALY’S CASE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 255, 25 September 1935, Page 8

ITALY’S CASE

STATED IN BROADCAST ADDRESS.

PROFESSOR’S REPLY

Dr. A. Baccarini, in a national broadcast on September 16, says the Sydney Alorning Herald, stated the Italian point of view in the Abyssinian dispute. He relied on ‘three points. He claimed, firstly. that from 1878 onwards Abyssinia had been a bad neighbour to Italy in NorthEast Africa; that she was incorrigible for murderous raids on Italian colonial territory, faithless to her pledged word, and scornful of solemn promises to the League of Nations to abolish slavery. Secondly, there had been failure by Abyssinia to perform her promises to the League, depriving her of the right to protection in the present crisis Thirdly, Italy was justified in declaring that she would enforce “the dispositions of treaties.” Dr. Baccarini said that from 1923 the aggressions and' armed raids against native Italian subjects, or Italian garrisons, amounted to not fewer than 90. They had become more frequent and more violent since. Under cover of the 1928 treaty, Abyssinia had embarked on a vast scale of armaments. Italy, therefore, had been compelled to adopt military measures to ensure permanent security to her possessions in East Africa, and intended enforcing the dispositions of the treaties between herself, . England and France, in 1891, 1894, 1906. 1925. and 1935. Article four of the 1906 treaty gave to Italy the right of achieving the territorial union between her colonies, named Eritrea and Somaliland, west of Addis Ababa, after consultation with the other two signatories. Abyssinia was admitted into the League of Nations under definite undertakings. Her admission was a vote of confidence, which Italy endorsed, in her ability to evolve a degree of civilisation that would bring her in rank with the civilised countries of the world. Abyssinia had fulfilled none of those expectations. She had shown that she did not possess the will, inclination or capacity to evolve that degree of civilisation. She had broken all her pledges. She had placed herself outside the Covenant l>y showing that she was not worthy of the confidence that the League had placed in her. Could the League be a kind of insurance poliev under which a State could secure impunity for all misdeeds? There could be no rights without duties, and no member of the League could claim rights under the Covenant without fulfilling those duties. PROFESSOR’S REPLY.

Professor Charteris, Professor of International Law at S'-dney University, in a broadcast reply, said he was disappointed with Dr. Baccarim’s statement of the Italian case, because it ignored the fundamental issues raised by the dispute. Those issues concerned many more Powers than Italy and Abyssinia. For those other Powers the question now was whether the Covenant of the League and the Kellogg Pact were scraps of paper or were worth fighting for. In the light of that, Dr. Baccarini’s statement of Italy s grievances against Abyssinia was simply not relevant to the present crisis in international relations. Referring to the contention ot Dr. Baccarini that Italy was justified m declaring that she would enforce the dispositions of treaties, Professor Charteris said that the treaties wete made not with, hut about, Abyssinia. Enforcing them must mean making them prevail by force of arms regardless of the will of Abyssinia. Dr. Baccarini did not say that Abyssinia was not a party to the main treaty the treaty of 1906. The only way to make the i 906 treaty consistent with the Covenant was to get the consent or Abyssinia to what the Powers proposed to do under the treaty. Professor Charteris emphasised that on the Covenant and sanctity of treaties, Italy blew hot and cold. Jn Europe she accepted the Covenant as the basis of the Locarno agreement ot 1925 of the indepedence of Austria—which was near her heart —of the Stresa conference, and of manv other arrangements in Europe. But in northeast Africa Italy declared that the Covenant did not applv because ot the character of Abyssinia. This was no argument to state in the arena ot tire League of Nations.

DEATH OH GLORY

AVAR FEVER GRIPS ITALY

The war fever has gripped young Italv. Youths, too young to recall the horrors and privations of the YVoriu YVar, have been caught up in a frenzy of nationlistic idealism, and are going to Africa seeking death or glory. Signor Mussolini’s thundermgs, ill addition to an intense propaganda suggesting that Italy’s mission is to civilise the wild races of Africa, are maintaining youthful fervour at its highest pitch. Young men, bawling Fascist songs, and shputing adoration of Signor Mussolini, are gladly forsaking their homes, prepared to die for the cause. However, there are hidden currents of antagonism to Signor Mussolini’s policy among the older people many ot whom carry bitter memories of the last war and detest the thought ot another protracted conflict. But Dascism does not permit such thoughts to be spoken. . . The Alanchester Guardian special correspondent writes that the opposition, as in all dictatorship countries, is only able to express itself by chalked inscriptions on walls which, in Venice and Genoa, are covered with anti-war slogans. The childien. have been taught that war is mail’s highest ideal, that it is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep for a century, that life itself is a battle, that the nation is evertliing and the individual nothing. As an instance of the Italian youth s indifference to death the correspondent relates seeing a youth saying farewell to his sweetheart, of whom lie begged a handkerchief, saying: “I want a pleasant memory, when I die in the desert.” ~ He found a sprinkling of older men among the departing troops, many o whom had no illusions, but had joined up because they were unemployed. Thev had turned towards the army in desperation. , Describing the departure of a troopship from Naples, the correspondent writes: “The spirit of the younger troops were excellent. Ihe jroor young fellows, from 18 to 22, left Naples believin''- that Africa would be great f lm ° The crowd, by contrast, was thoughtful and melancholy; no cheerin'' no enthsiasm. almost ominously silent. Those left behind were the older generation —fathers find mothers, knowing war’s meaning.

RUSH TO ABYSSINIA. many adventurers. Adventurers from all parts of the globe have flocked into Addis Ababa, hired there by the prospect of the excitement of war. The latest arrival is Lawrence Stallings, American author of “The Big Parade” and “What Price Glory?” He is attached to Fox Movietone,

which has sent six operators with a complete talkie outfit. Huroun-el-Rashid, a German, who was. an officer during the Gallipoli campaign, and afterwards turned Mahominedan, came all the way from Berlin to offer his services to the Emperor (says an Addis Ababa message), but they were refused. He has 65 war decorations, including two Iron Crosses and refuses to leave. Hans Weber, chief pilot of the Ethiopian air force, was a member of Baron von Richthofen’s famous “Red Circus” in the war. A HARMRACE. ETHIOPIAN WOMAN’S EXPERIENCES IN WAR. AT BATTLE OF ADOWA. They are a hardy race these Ab.yssinians and as patriotic as any in the j world. An experience which 1 had ex- | plains much, states Noel Monks, an Australian journalist in Abyssinia. I I was going to the Palace at dawn to offer New Year greetings to the Emperor when ail old woman stumbled in front of my car. I picked her up and sat her in the back seat, and through my interpreter learned from her a story that should prove an inspiration to men as well as women throughout Abyssinia—with a mule she will go to the frontier to fight. “I nursed Emperor Hailc_ Selassie when he was a baby and I was the cook for Emperor Menelik 40 years ago,” she said. “I was at the battle of Adowa and was decorated by Menelik for saving the wounded. Before he died he told me that if ever I needed anything I should ask the Emeperor. 1 have needed many things in tlie 40 years that have passed, but 1 have never asked. . . “Now my country is in danger and I need a mule to go to the front. I know the Emperor will not refuse me.” She went on to say that her brother had presented her with a spare rifle. “But I am a Galla woman and can cut off a mail’s head with a single stroke,” she said. She told me that Gallas would not worry about having no ammunition. They would throw their guns away and use their natural weapon —the long, curved razor-sharp swordIf patriotism and courage amount to much Abyssinia has a good chance of still Ireing the only negro kingdom in the world for many New Y’ears.