THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1936. THE LEAGUE'S APPEAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22824, 7 March 1936, Page 12

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1936. THE LEAGUE'S APPEAL

The main object of the- policy of the League of Nations in respect to the Italo-Abyssinian situation being to stop the war, the fresh effort to bring about peace by conciliation between the parties to the conflict is definitely in line with it. Though in one message the effort is described as a " final" one of the kind, it seems probable that it will merely take its place in the intermediary sequence. The position is evidently regarded in some quarters as favourable to the advancement of peace proposals at the present time. Whether this appeal to the combatants will be more effective than others that have gone before it must, however, be highly problematical. A great deal must depend, of course, upon the temper in which the combatants find themselves. The actual war situation is far from clear. The Italians are claiming great victories, and Marshal Badoglio talks of the crushing of Northern Abyssinian resistance to pieces. It is very difficult to determine the substance upon which these claims rest. If Italy has gained a distinct strategical success, its natural results have yet to be demonstrated. Meanwhile, the comment of the Emperor Haile Sellassie, that the Avar is only just starting, conveys no suggestion that the Ethiopian spirit is daunted. It is now reported from Addis Ababa that the Emperor has definitely accepted the League's proposals for negotiations carried out within the framework of the League and in the spirit of the Covenant. That is as might be expected. Ethiopia has always stood upon the letter of her rights as a League Power, and has not neglected to remind the League of the consideration to which she is entitled as a State subjected to attack. But if Abyssinia's agreement to an armistice and the opening of negotiations is conditional on Italian withdrawal from her territory, as she will no doubt contend she is entitled to stipulate, the League's appeal is likely to lead to an impasse. That Italy would entertain any such proposal need hardly be supposed. If her successes have been really substantial it is inevitable that this will be reflected in her attitude towards peace proposals. She will be stiffened in her demands, and the greater her demands they will obviously be the more unacceptable to Ethiopia. The position of the League in such circumstances is also rendered more difficult. The Paris proposals incurred the condemnation which was poured upon them because they would have permitted the I

aggressor nation in this war to profit largely by its. attack upon a League member. This aspect cannot be relegated to the background. As Lord Cecil has put it, the point at issue is whether successful aggression at the moment must not strike a devastating blow at all the efforts for peace. If Italy and Abyssinia could reach a peace settlement with the League's assistance there would be much satisfaction at Geneva, but tlie gap must continue to be a wide one between the Italian demands and such concessions as Abyssinia is prepared to make. There is little reason to suppose that the position in that respect has materially altered. But a favourable response from Rome to the overtures from the League will assuredly be based on an anticipation that Italy will be enabled to reap the fruits of victory. As in the case of the abortive Paris proposals, France has shown a special anxiety to bring the combatants to a settlement. In this she is, no doubt correctly, regarded as being actuated largely by apprehension of the effect upon her own relations with Italy of a continuance of the League's procedure in respect of sanctions and the possible extension of it to include an embargo on oil. Any real promise in the situation is not readily discoverable.