END OF SANCTIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 173, 23 June 1936, Page 6

END OF SANCTIONS.

Tiie position in Europe has been going from bad to worse, and apparently the so-called alarmist statement of Mr Duff-Cooper, Minister of War, is true. The position in Europe to-day is worse than it was in July, 1914. We have been told repeatedly that Hitler wants peace, but his

actions do not confirm tliis. The drive for colonies and the fear that the Nazi regime is looking for territorial expansion in’Eastern Europe are keeping the European nations in u tense situation. Britain is naturally anxious. She was disposed to take Hitler at his word and give him a chance to help in restoring peace in Europe, but Hitler appears to be playing a double game. In a situation so delicate, it would appear to be dangerous ro continue sanctions against Italy, for the services of the latter are required to help maintain the peace of Europe. In effect Africa has to be forgotten and attention concentrated on Europe where there is much more danger. The collapse of the Abyssinian resistance to the Italian armies and the abdication and flight of the Emperor Haile Selassie have quite altered the situation. Sanctions were obviously not very effective, but they seemed to be putting obstacles in the way of the Italians. But sanctions, when the capital of Abyssinia is in the hands of the Italians, and the Emperoi and his most important chieftains have fled, are not the same thing as sanctions when the military situation was uncertain. The League, on the first occasion when collective action has been attempted, lias to admit failure. For that'failure the League as a whole is responsible. If success is collective, failure must be collective also. Britain cannot be expected to take the entire blame. At this distant date it seems somewhat of a pity that the Hoare-Laval proposal whereby Italy would have been awarded a portion of Abyssinia, and the Emperor still on the throne, was not accepted. But the rebuffs of Mussolini resulted in those Foreign Ministers being relieved of office and Mussolini given a free hand. The lesson plainly is that the League itself needs strengthening-. No doubt attention will be given to that matter next week when the Assembly will have met under new conditions and in a new political atmosphere. Whatever happens every effort must be made to prevent war in Europe. When the situation is viewed it will be noted that every European nation is armed to the teeth; even the Little Entente have liad their staff conferences and their defence plans laid. The enemy of Europe to-day is the peace-loving Hitler, and it is the smaller nations wlvo have most to fear for Germany wants to Germanise them. Tense as the situation appears, we do not think that there is any immediate prospect of war.