Italy Refuses to Respond to Peace Offers

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 245, 17 October 1935, Page 7

Italy Refuses to Respond to Peace Offers

Britain the Villain of the Piece

Scanty News From the Weir Fronts

United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Wednesday, 11 p.m. LONDON, Oct'. 16. The Times’ Rome correspondent says the peace hopes expressed in the Drench Press Jind no counterpart so far in the Italian newspapers. On the contrary, the British Government is represented as being resolutely opposed to any conciliation attempts. The notion now firmly embedded in the Italian mind is that the present situation is not due to a conflict between Italy and the League, but to Britain’s deliberate hostility towards Fascist Italy which has alarmed Britain by its resurrection under Mussolini’s stimulating leadership and by the possibility that if once she is in undisputed possession of Ab} ssinia Italy might seriously menace British communications with the East. Nevertheless, a number of suggested peace solutions arc being seriously propagated. The more reasonable suggest that Italy is ready to renounce the idea of conquering the whole of Abyssinia and is prepared to accept a mandate oyer her socalled “colonial empire’’ conquered by King Menelik, hut it is emphasised that Italy will never negotiate under pressure of economic sanctions. ... “On the other hand, there are many who utterly disbelieve the possibility of any negotiations being resumed at present with any chance of success, some because they consider Italy means to overrun large sections of Abyssinia before she wili consent to think of negotiating and others because they see no signs of Britain modifying the proposals already offered to Italy.