ITALY'S CASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22200, 29 August 1935, Page 11

ITALY'S CASE

AFRICAN CRISIS "DOCUMENTARY PROOFS ETHIOPIA INDICTED if new French yiew e-< AN AUTHORISED WAR" / By Telerrnph—Press Association—Copyright (Received August 28. 5.45 p.m.) LONDON. Aug. 28 The Daily Mail's Rome correspondent states that Signor Mussolini is sending a veritable library to the meeting of the League Council on September 4, to prove Italy's case against Abyssinia, including Lady Simon's book, " Slavery," numerous British White Papers, and photographs and other documents bearing on every phase of Abyssinian life. The documentation will be divided into several sections, including Abyssinia's non-observance of her international obligations, slavery, the barbarous oppression of the black peoples under Abyssinian rule, the complete lack of justice, and the extremely low level of civilisation even among the most progressive sections of the population. Abyssinia's Expulsion Sought The Paris correspondent of the Times states that the Italian Ambassador, Signor-Cen'tti, during a conversation with the French Prime Minister. M. Laval, confirmed Signor Mussolini's intention of proposing Abyssinia's expulsion from the League of Nations. Signor Cerrutti promised that documents in support of the proposal would be communicated to the French Government in a few days. Signor Mussolini would insist upon s settlement of the question by the Council of the League without reference to the Assembly, said the Ambassador. The correspondent says no indication of the official attitude toward Signor Mussolini's latest move is available yet, but the idea is fervidly welcomed hy a section of the French press as affording an avenue of escape from the present dilemma. The mere possibility that Signor Mussolini will be prepared to continue to use the League's peaceful machinery •is held to offer an inestimable respite. Italian Mandate Suggested Britain is reminded that by laying his case before the Council, Signor Mussolini will remove the real issues which so far have divided British and Italian opinion. From this starting point, it is argued, the League, if the justice of the Italian cause is admitted, might even grant an Italian mandate over Abyssinia which would be rendered effective by what one French newspaper calls " a somewhat severe police operation/' Other euphemisms for an authorised war are suggested, all of them based on the assumption that the British objections to the absorption of Abyssinia can be now removed and averted. The French press makes a strong, almost desperate, appeal to Signor " Mussolini in the meanwhile to refrain ' from attacking in defiance of all his engagements.

" Slavery," by Lady Simon, the wife of Sir John Simon, formerly British Foreign Secretary, was published in 1929. The authoress, who read the literature on the subject, studied the Blue Books and reports of the League of prepared an account of the different places in the world where slavery still, persisted and added a brief survey of the lives of the chief emancipators. The worst offenders, according to Lady Simon, were Abyssinia, Arabia, China and Liberia. "Abyssinia," she wrote, "has a ruler, Ras Tafari" now the Emperor Haili Selassie —"who is anxious to redeem his pledges to the League of Nations and <to put down slavery. He has a strong inducement, for clearlV his State cannot remain a member of the League unless he succeeds. But his difficulties are immense and it is not easy to see where he 13 to obtain much local support. " Both in Abyssinia and Arabia the sufferings of the land passage seem to rival the sufferings of the slaves who crossed the Atlantic in the 17th century. Slaves drop out famished to end their lives by the talons or the jaws of wild bird or wild beast; or, tied neck to rfeck, they are driven by whip bv masters who have to fight for their prov from time to time with ri\al raiders." > . ~ These were the places where slavery persisted in the most literal sense of/the term, hut there were places, as Lady Simon showed, where slaverv flourished under other names. For the suppression of these evils the world, she said, was organised as never before in history. Obstructive forces embarrassed the machinery of reform under the best conditions, hut the League of Nations provided great opportunities for Governments that were in earnest and for public men ot the type of Lugard and Nansen.

ITALIAN TROOPS DEPARTURE FOR AFRICA ALMOST CONTINUOUS (Received August 28. 7.35 p.m.) LONDON, Auk. 28 The Rome correspondent of the Times says the departure of troops for East Africa/ now is almost continuous. ALLIES FOR ETHIOPIA SOMALIS CROSS FRONTIER SUPPLY OF STOLEN ARMS LONDON, Aug. 27 The Addis Aha ha correspondent of the Daily Express asserts that 3000 Somalis have stolen enough arms for a force of 9000 and crossed the frontier to Ogaden. The Italian Consul handed a Note to the EnipGror requesting the return of the arms, hut Haili Sellassie disclaimed all knowledge of the incident. The Soninlis are understood to be making for Harrar with the intention of joining the Abyssinians under a Turkish commander, Wahib Pasha Muslim. Feudal/ barons, in an audience with the Emperor, demanded direct action •fininst the Italians.