Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1936 BRITAIN, THE LEAGUE, AND ITALY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 22 June 1936, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1936 BRITAIN, THE LEAGUE, AND ITALY

THE economic blockade of Italy was instituted some time ago by the League of Nations with the object of compelling her to bring her invasion of Abyssinia to an end, and the British Government at once complied with the League’s decision. Italy defied the League, and was successful in her war of conquest in Africa. Now, while the League of Nations’ boycott of Italy’s trade is still in force, the British Government has been advised by its Foreign Secretary that “to maintain the existing sanctions without any clearly defined purpose would only result in a crumbling of the sanctions’ front, so that in a short time the League would be confronted with a state of affairs even more derogatory to its authority than that which it faces to-day.” That, of course, means that the League’s authority has been defied with impunity, that its policy of applying sanctions against Italy has failed, and that Abyssinia will remain Italian. It is to be noted that the British Premier said that Mr Eden’s statement “had the unanimous support of the Government,” and in- reference to the people of Great Britain Mr Baldwin said that they would need a good deal of education “before they would consent to overtake all the obligations of the League.” As will have been seen, the opinion of the London journals seems to be divided on the British Government’s change of policy, some approving of it, as being the wisest course possible, and others condemning it emphatically. The fact seems to be that there was in Britain a strong opinion that the Government’s policy was leading in' the direction of war, and that that policy must be changed. Furthermore the Dominions, with the exception of South Africa, disapprove of a policy which might plunge the Empire into a war which, once begun, might involve the whole of Europe, before it was concluded. Probably another reason for the British Government’s volte-face is that there is in Central Europe a much more serious problem to be faced than is Italy’s defiance of the League of Nations; that if Great Britain and Italy were to quarrel the immense armies of Herr Hitler might march eastward into Russia, and Europe be ablaze within a month. The League has done its utmost to induce Italy to observe its Covenant. But if the League is assured of Italy’s assistance in the event of aggression in Central Europe, it possibly may cancel the economic blockade and, following Britain’s example, take a step which would restore harmony among those nations which are the League’s greatest source of strength.