ITALY'S POLICY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 18

ITALY'S POLICY

USE OF . NATIVE TROOPS ABYSSINIAN CAMPAIGN DANGER TO WORLD PEACE [from our OWN correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON, Oct. 10 In a letter to the, Times, Sir Alio Bailey has pointed out a very serious clanger that would follow/ if Italy gained complete control of Abjssinia. "Under thft British flag," he writes, ""we train a few hundred African natives as policemen, but wo novor think of enrolling them as armies. This happens of course because the British Empire stands for freedom nnd is not "primarily a military Power. "With Continental nations it is otherwise. Franco has not been nblo | to resist tho temptation to create armies of natives in her African territories, which as wo know are brought over when necessary to fight* in Europe. Fortunately so far Belgium has not followed suit. . , "The first news from the Abyssinian war front brings homo to us with a shock tho fact that Italy is largely employing nativo troops levied in Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. It cannot bo doubted for a moment that if Italy is allowed t6 conquer and owe Abyssinia, besides endangering our interests in tho Sudan and Egypt, she will of necessity proceed to follow the French example and militarise the whole population. The same policy will then be forced on Governments to tho south, until in no great time the whole population of Africa is trained and accustomed to modern methods of war. "People, too, are talking lightly of returning the German colonies without considering tho inhabitants. Dictators, however, are always true to tvpe. The colour of their shirts may differ, but the complexion of their minds is always the same. And what Mussolini has begun Hitler may complete. "Is it any wonder, then that the South African .Government, which speaks for tho vast majority of Europeans in Africa, should view this prospect with dismay? / "Tho militarisation of Africa would deal a direct and fatal blow to British interests. It is also a menace to the peace and prosperity of the world That is one reason why the interests of the British Empire and of the League of Nations are alike affected by tho reckless aggression of Italian Fascism, bolstered up as it is by a spirit of exclusive national pride."

KING'S COLLEGE NEW HEADMASTER ARRIVAL EARLY NEXT YEAR [from our own correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON, Oct. 19 The newly-appointed headmaster of King's College, Auckland, Mr. J. N. Peart, M.A., has booked his passage by the Remuera, leaving England on December 12. Ho will bo accompanied by Mrs. Peart and their two children. In October, 1921, Mr. Peart came to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he took honours in mathematics and natural sciences. After leaving Cambridge, he joined tho staff at Epsom College, where ho is now second master. In 1930 he married Miss Anno Phillips, only daughter of Dr. and Mrs. C. H. Phillips, of Norbtiry. For some considerable time Mr. Peart has been hoping to be able to return to New Zealand, and he is delighted to receive the appointment to Auckland. Mrs. Peart, too, is looking forward with great pleasure to her life in the Dominion. t

FAMOUS DANCER

£30,000 MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN IN REGENT'S PARK [frosi our OWN correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON, Oct. 19 The swans in Regent's Park rose garden, which inspired some of Pavlova's greatest dances, will form the foreground to a Pavlova memorial fountain to bo placed there next year. It will cost £30,000. Funds for erecting the memorial will be derived from the showing of a film of Pavlova's life* which is nearing completion at the British International studios at Elstree. There will bo a simultaneous premiere of the film in London, Paris and New York on January 23, the fifth anniversary of Pavlova's death. Thousands of letters from her admirers in Europte and the «United States show that the film is being eagerly awaited by lovers of her art. . The London run may be preceded by a midnight "matinee" attended by many well-known people.

NAVAL ACTIVITIES GERMANS AT KIEL BATTLESHIPS NEARLY READY ; [from OCR OWN correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON, Oct. 19 From official German sources I learn that tho Submarine School at Kiel is now in full operrttibn, writes Mr. Hector C. Bywater in the Daily Telegraph. It has elaborato ccfuipment, including full-size models of submarine compartments and escape tanks, and /about 900 officers and ratings are undergoing instruction. The last of the 12 submarines which were built secretly early this year is about to bo commissioned. Officially it was not "laid down" ,until June, but as all the parts were made months earlier tho assembly took only a few weeks. These boats displace 250 tons. Their surface speed is about 14gknots, and they carry three or four torpedo tubes in tho bows. They are to bo used chiefly for training and coastal defence. Sixteen other larger submarines, up to 850 tons, are in hand. Several of them will bo in service before the end of the year.

It is understood that Herr Hitler will bo present at the launch of Germany's first great battleship from tho dockyard at Wilholmshaven. This vessel and a sister ship were laid down with the utmost secrecy late last year. They, displace. 26,000 tona, and will be remarkable for their massivo armour, based on the lessons of Jutland. ' On tho other hand, the armament is comparatively light, consisting of nine llin. guns in triyifle turrets, two of which are placed forward and tho third aft. These guns are of a new quick-firing model. The second ship is building at Hamburg. ; Other warships approaching tho launching stage are tNvo 10,000-ton cruisers armed with Bin. • guns, and 16 big destroyers of 1650 tons. The third "pocket battleship," Admiral Graf Spee, is to bo commissioned in January. Like the Deutschland and Admiral Scheer, she is an all-welded ship of 10,000 tons, with a battery of six llin. guns and a very wide radius of action.