ITALIANS HALT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13091, 26 October 1935, Page 5

ITALIANS HALT.

IS WAR TOO COSTLY? INDICATIONS FOR PEACE. OPTIMISM RETURNING. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 25. The News-Chronicle’s Rome, correspondent says that, although official circles disclaim: knowledge of peace negotiations, the prolonged halt in. the Italian advance is creating optimism. There is every reason to believe that Alussolini has relinquished his ambition for a mandate over all Abyssinia and what he now claims is the joining up of the Italian colonies by the cession of the Harrar and Tigre provinces, which he insists are not part of Abyssinia j)roper. It is stated that he will be willing to concede Abyssinia the port of Assab. The only hitch to this plan is that the Sanctions Committee will meet m Geneva on October 31. but the newspapers give prominence to a report that the meeting may be postponed till November 15 to enable the negotiations to proceed. WAR TOO COSTLY. r LONDON, October 24. Ihe Telegraph’s Rome correspondent says that, apart from other considerations, the growing realUatiou of the technical difficulties and the economic cost of the Ahvssinian campaign is believed to lie behind Mussolini’s reported peace moves. Moreover, it is now asserted that Italy never intended to conquer the whole of Abyssinia. Her avowed objects are: Firstly, to. enforce loyal execution of many treaties with Abyssinia during the past 40 vearssecondly, to obtain new land for colonisation, and the concessions pro nnsed in treaties ; thirdly, to ensure the security of her settlers and colonial frontiers. The campaign is now believed to have reached a. stage when these objects are within sight. PEACE TERMS. fpi LONDON, October 24. 1 ije so-called peace terms appear m the Giornale clTtalia, in which Signor Day da suggests that three points will satisfy Italy; Firstly, the disarming of Abyssinia, with international control over the territorv which Italy considers Abvssinia proper. as distinct from outlying proyinces racially separated; secondly, Italian occupation of Tigre ; thirdly Abyssinia to be given a port in Erit ri a. These proposals admitted!v closely resemble those reported from Paris, which Mussolini rejected. It is also believed that Mussolini is more likely to demand Zeila as a ,i Ahvssinian port. scheme outlined. LONDON. October 25 Ihe limes’ Paris correspondent, reierring to a report, which was later denied, that Mussolini had oflined M. Laval a hasi- of settlement, including the establishment of concessions similar to those in China., .expresses the opinion that the denial should be interpreted as indicating that the conversation! have not yet reached a concrete Stage. Moreover. M. Laval is not desirous of transmitting proposals uiiich should be directly made to Britain. Such action would not hinder his effort to. reach a. basis satisf.\Hig tue League and Britain. the Daily Alail s Paris correspondent says that, despite the denials of tin- Italians, a s: henna for settlement; between Italy, England and Frame may lie on geiler-J lines, but certainly exists.

the Herald’s diplomatic correspondent, discounting the suggestion that Britain will withdraw battleships from tile Mediterranean, says Britain does not consider that tile withdrawal of one division is sufficient in exchange for a battleship. Du the contrary, she wants three divisions withdrawn.

Ihe. Unit's' Cairo correspondent points out that the withdrawal is probably largely due to difficulties of maintenance, a s water i s limited and supplies by sea hazardous in winter time.

Ihe I elegrapli’s Rome eoriespondvnt says the decision not To transfer troops from Libya to East Airica is regarded a.s significant. DEBATE IN HOUSE (British Official Wireless.) RUGB i. October 24. Ihe third day of the debate in the House of Commons on the international situation opened with a speech by Mr Winston Churchill (C on.), who began by referring to tin* progress of German rearmament. Whatever they thought of the reasons or object of that movement, lie submitted that th.ev could not have any other anxiety comparable to the anxiety it caused. Oompnred with that, he regarded tin*' war between Italy and Abyssinia as a verv small matter . It was on the basjis of the German rearm a men it that the dispute between Italy and the League must fTe considered, and in all tin' circumstances ho thought thi* efforts which Fi 'since had. made to give effect to the League Covenant deserved warm recognition. He expressed sympathy with the Abyssinia us in the invasion of their country, hut said that now that they had appealed to the League tliev must he made to put their house in order so that the League could not ho accused of taking one-sided aot.icn against Italy.

LEA GEE’S (; R CAY ING POAV E R The groat new fact of the international situation. Air Churchill * declared, was that tin* League of Nations was alive and in action. They

were in the presence of a memorable event—an assertion of public law by fifty nations and its. recognition by -t State affected and a historic figure at the head of that- State. The League of Nations had passed from shadow int-o substance- from, rhetoric into reality. A structure always majestic, but hitherto shadowy, was being clothed with power. They began to feel a beating of the pulse which might some day give a greater mo«stire of strength and security to the whole world.

J u c f trikin S passage Air Churchill ashed the House not to suppose that the measures being taken against ,r u' Wtro ‘ u °t most formidable. They must look only a month or two ahead. AY here would the Italian Dictator be at this time next year? He might be lar into Abyssinia with an army of a quarter of a million men wasting rapidly by guerilla warfare and disease, and all the time Italy, under the boycott and censure of practically the whole world would be bleeding at every pore, her gold reserves melted away, her prices rising, and her credit gone. Mr Arthur Greenweed (Lab.), who followed, devoted Ids speech to a charge that the Government was using the' international crisis to divert attention from the failure of its unemploymen t policy. OUT IN THE OPEN. LONDON, October 24. Sir John .Simon, replying to the debate in ihe House of Commons, denied that the Government was negotiating with France and Italy behind the back of the League for a settlement, which the League would then be asked to accept and to which Abyssinia w ould be told to tigree. The Government’s policy front the beginning of the dispute had been to promote, if it could, a settlement which would not cnly lie within the Covenant but would also be acceptable to Italy and Abyssinia. “AVe have no intention of wavering in giving effect to our obligations under the Covenant,” he added. The debate concluded without a vote. UNITED STATES AND LEAGUE. WASHINGTON. October 24. President Roosevelt conferred with Air Cordell Hull (Secretary of State) and charted the lines of the United States’ reply to the League’s inquiry regarding the American position concerning sanctions. It is indicated that a decision was reached to confine the reply to a statement of the steps the United States Government lias already taken. and unless there are last-minute changes, no new policy will he projected. It is also intended not to comment either way on the action .taken by the League, as the United States Government intends to act independently and retain freedom of action. MUSSOLINI CHANGES TUNE. PARIS, October 25. L’Oeuvre discloses that Mussolini intimated he was willing to hall hostilities and not despatch further troops to East Africa until Britain has considered his proposals.