PRESSURE ON DUCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18879, 3 December 1935, Page 7

PRESSURE ON DUCE

OIL BAN THREAT CHECK OF HOSTILITIES ITALIAN FEARS INCREASE NEGOTIATIONS INDICATED POSSIBLE PEACE TALKS (Elec. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn.) LONDON. Dec. 2. Newspapers are again giving prominence to M. Laval's attempts to secure peace in Abyssinia, to which new interest is given by the Morning Post's report that the Foreign Secretary. Sir Samuel Hoare, is .shortly spending n brief holiday, on the Continent and is expected to visit M. Laval and other statesmen -next week to discuss the proposed oil embargo against Italy and the possibility of fruitful peace talks. The Manchester Guardian's Paris correspondent says jthat Le Temps prints a message from Rome suggesting that "Italy is thoroughly frightened of the oil embargo and, accordingly, is prepared to negotiate." Nevertheless, the committee of Eighteen of the League of Nations must be satisfied that "such 'negotiations are genuine and not merely an attempt to postpone the decision on oil sanctions. The Daily Telegraph, in a leading article, says: "The prime object of the oil sanction.", .is not to produce an Italian disaster—that is the last thing desired —but to press Signor Mussolini lo call off the campaign on reasonable terms.'" The Daily, Mail's. Paris correspondent says that M. Laval, during his conversation with Signor Cerutti, explained that France could, not avoid common action on oil .sanctions with other Powers, but. suggested that if Italy offered to halt her troops on a given line in Abyssinia pending a continuance of peace negotiations, which could thenbe actively pushed on, the postponement of oil sanctions; might be possible. The Times Paris correspondent'says the Tact that on second thoughts Signoiv Mussoiini is prepared to regard the oil embargo as no more than an evidence ofunfriendliness lias caused general relief. While Rome denies there was ever any question of treating the extension of sanctions as a casus belli, informed opinion in Paris knows better. Support for the belief that M. Laval his not minced his words in his warning to Signor Cerutti, the Italian Ambassador in Paris, that an attack on Britain would bring Fraiice to her side, has sown a firmer tone in the newspapers of Paris.

CANADIAN ATTITUDE NOT TAKING LEAD SURPRISE AT GENEVA OTTAWA, Dee. 1. According to a statement by the act-ing-Prime Minister, Mr Ernest Lapoint e, to-night, Dr.. Walter. Riddell was expressing Ins own personal opinion and not the views of the Canadian Government when he suggested on November 2 at Geneva to the League of Nations committee that the sanctions against Italy should be extended to include oil, /coal by-products, iron and steel. . ', it ; . • Mr Lapoiute, in his. statement, said that the- Prime Minister, Mr. Mackenzie King, announced on 28 that Canada would comply with the financial and economic sanctions programme set forth by the League Coordination Committee.

Mr Lapointe added: "The. Government is not taking, and dobs not propose to take, the initiative in proposing an extension of measures with regard to the prohibition of exports to Italy." A Geneva message says that the chairman of the League Committee of Eighteen, Senhpr J. de_ Vasconcellos, referring to the Canadian repudiation of the. initiative (in oil' and other proposed sanctions, expressed the opinion that the work of the Committee of Eighteen would not be affected. ';; ' The first indication'of a change in the Canadian policy was noticed a few days ago, when the delegation requested that the oil embargo should not be described as a "Canadian proposal." Other delegates are surprised at the Ottawa announcement.