MR SAVAGE AT THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23201, 27 May 1937, Page 15

MR SAVAGE AT THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —Allow me to draw your readers' attention to the peculiar fact that Mr Savage's first endeavour of carrying out his self-imposed mission at Home to bring about a more peaceful outlook among the nations, as reported in the cable news of May 25, will have exactly the opposite effect. Now that the damage is done to Abyssinia there is no useful purpose in not recognising that damage. The time for action to prevent the despoiling of that country would have been when Italy set foot there, but Britain refrained lest her action should set Europe aflame. In actual fact, it now turns out, according to General de Bono's " Conquest of an Empire," just published, that Italy half expected Britain to declare war on her if she persisted with her campaign, in which case Mussolini had arranged to stop the Abyssinian offensive and to return on and concentrate upon defending Eritrea. Yesterday Britain's policy was formally to recognise Italy's claim to sovereignty as the best means of maintaining friendly and peaceful relations with the " King of the South"; but now Mr Savage's lead to the Empire has the effect of rubbing the very essence of salt into the Italian mind. Thus the world moves on one step further to its climax in mysterious way. Not only Italian politicians are being rubbed up the unpeaceful way by our peacemakers. Our national church has raised the ire of her Roman sister by entering the Spanish arena to see things for herself, thus driving (if she did need any driving) the Roman Church into the bosom of the Senate, cherishing a common hate against us. —I am, etc. G. Steel. May 25.