BRITISH CASE

Southland Times, Issue 22766, 17 December 1935, Page 7

BRITISH CASE

PEACE PROPOSALS REASON FOR APPROVAL DANGER OF CONFLICT CABINET RANKS DIVIDED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 7.40 p.m.) London, December 16. “The Government will tell the House of Commons that if the Hoare-Laval proposals are only 50 per cent, satisfactory to the League it is because the League is not able and not ready to exert more than fifty per cent, of its potential power,” according to the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. “That will be Sir Samuel Hoare’s attitude in the debate. If he adheres to the convictions held last week he will ask whether the Abyssinians can eject the Italians from the territories they hold; if not, what countries are prepared to form an international expedition to undertake the task or provide a bankrupt Abyssinia with more adequate defences. If neither is possible the only course is military sanctions, which Italy would regard as a warlike act, necessitating the League inquiring into what naval, air and military forces members would provide to protect the Covenant. British inquiries convinced the Government that other European countries would not provide help, thus leaving Britain the whole burden. The Government still aims at persuading League members to take the steps necessary to ensure fully the carrying out of future obligations.”

Cabinet Split Predicted. According to the Daily Mail, rumours of a political crisis are being circulated. It is reported that Mr Eden may resign from the Cabinet owing to opposition to the proposals. If he goes he may be accompanied by Mr Walter Elliot (Minister of Agriculture), Lord Stanley, Mr A. Duff Cooper (Secretary for War) and Mr W. Ormsby-Gore (First Commissioner of Works). The revolt is due to Sir Samuel Hoare’s messages to Sir Sidney Barton, British Minister at Addis Ababa, and to Sir Eric Drummond, British Ambassador to Italy, which completely surprised many members of the Cabinet, who are demanding explanations at to-day’s Cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, Mr Baldwin is making efforts to settle the crisis. If he fails he may have to reconsider his own position. It has already been suggested that Mr Neville Chamberlain will replace Sir Samuel Hoare. The Paris correspondent of The Times says that Sir Samuel Hoare’s telegram to Sir Sydney Barton heightened the controversy. So-called realists aiming to settle the conflict on any terms, extoll M. Laval’s plan as the work of a constructive statesman, but fresh criticism is continually coming from quarters holding that the discouragement of aggression is the only guarantee of future peace. It is clear from the bitterness the proposals have aroused that they would not be accepted by the French nation. Moreover, an unpublished feature, likely to cause further trouble when it is known, is that there is good reasons to believe that far from Jibuti being ruined, Haile Selassie would be informed when he was too deeply committed to retreat that he would not be permitted to build a railway to Assab. Meanwhile, the moderates, who are eager to avoid a disturbance of European peace, although they dislike the Anglo-French proposals, are more cheerful because they feel that M. Laval has made an ■oil embargo impossible. Italian Opinion. The Rome correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that critics complain that the area offered in Tigre, Danakil and Ogaden lacks economic value and is also smaller than the area which the Italians occupy. They also consider that it will be dangerous to return Aksum owing to the surrender of the population to Italy. The cession of Assab is inconceivable because it is the first African port over which the Italian, flag flew, while Italian honour forbids the handing over of an inch of territory or a single Italian citizen to barbarians. Moreover, if Switzerland. Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, highly civilized countries, do not possess ports Abyssinia does not require Assab, which would only be used for arms traffic and slave trading. It is also pointed out that the proposals do not contain military guarantees, safeguards for colonists or economic rights. The Rome correspondent of The Times says that some good judges believe that Signor Mussolini has secretly decided to negotiate. He wishes to create an advance impression that he is being asked to make enormous sacrifices and hence press the campaign against the proposals. A copyright message from Addis Ababa, to The Times, explaining the Emperor’s attempt to transfer the initiative to the League, points out that Haile Selassie is not willing to accept too hastily the advice of officials who, apart from the British adviser, Mr Colson, desire speedy rejection of the peace proposals. The Emperor cannot agree to sacrifice part of Tigre, now ceded strategically, or permit the introduction of Italian colonists who might be a fertile source of future incidents and a pretext for further inroads. No Frontier Guarantee. Moreover, the proposals do not mention a frontier guarantee which the Emperor requested as an essential element in a settlement, although it is felt that such a guarantee would not prevent the break-up of Abyssinia if the Italians were permitted to again enter. The Emperor, sharing these views, is determined not to be placed in the wrong by too hasty rejection in the new situation which has arisen or risk exposing Abyssinia to the impatience of those desiring peace at any price. Accordingly, it is believed that the League Assembly must be shown Abyssinia’s attitude :.i order to rally the small Powers to her side. Meanwhile, the achieving of this without flatly rejecting the Franco-British offices is a problem the Emperor is discussing at Dessie with Mr Colson and his Foreign Minister. “VOTE OF CONFIDENCE” PROBABLE ISSUE OF DEBATE. DEFENCE OF SIR SAMUEL HOARE. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) London, December 15. The Weekly Despatch expects that whether or not Labour members move a vote of censure Mr Baldwin will make the issue of the debate on December 19 a vote of confidence. The Prime Minister is preparing a strong defence of Sir Samuel Hoare’s share in the discussions and will as far as possible take Parliament into his confidence to explain why the Government sought an

early end to the war. It is believed that the exposed position of the British Fleet in the Mediterranean and the unwillingness of other Powers to honour their responsibilities greatly influenced the decision. Meanwhile, whatever the fate of the peace plan, Mr Baldwin has made up his mind that oil sanctions are not practical politics.

DANGER OF SANCTIONS WORLD WAR FEARED. BRITAIN HAD NO ALTERNATIVE. (United Press Assn—Telegraph Copyright.) London, December 15. The Sun-Herald Service says it is now widely accepted that when Mr Baldwin said, “My lips are not yet unsealed,” he meant that if Sir Samuel Hoare rejected the peace terms he would have plunged the Empire into war. Some papers even express the opinion that Mr Baldwin will emerge from Thursday’s debate with a moral triumph never surpassed in the House of Commons. . Mr J. L. Garvin, in a powerful article in the Observer, says: “Further sanctions intended to throttle Italy and hamstring her armies would set fire to the world and plunge us all into a desperate European conflict in the New Year which would be the beginning of another world war. All statesmen responsible for it would earn everlasting guilt, the ill-starred League would perish, Japan would dominate Asia and Nazism dominate Europe. We are only beginning to reconstitute our defences and are much worse prepared than in 1914. Nobody knows what . might become of the Empire. It might disappear. Our ordinary communications with Australia and India through the Mediterranean would be suspended for a lengthy period, and if Italy were permanently hostile it would never afterwards be as safe as before. Sanctions and armed reinforcements have already created far-reachin? difficulties for the Empire with Egyptian Nationalists.’ Mr Garvin concludes with the view now gaining adherents: that despite the fact that the storm against the Government is unabated, Sir Samuel Hoare had no alternative. “The Paris plan will prevail sooner or later. Sanctions are dead,” he says.

BRITAIN AND FRANCE APPEAL TO BELLIGERENTS. BASIS OF NEGOTIATIONS. (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, December 15. A White Paper issued by the Government contains, in addition to the text of the proposals drafted in Paris, the instructions sent by the Foreign Secretary to the British Ambassador in Rome and -the British Minister in Addis Ababa on December 10. These are preceded by the report of the League Committee of Five of September’lB last and the respective replies thereto of the Italian and Ethiopian representatives and by a telegram from Sir Samuel Hoare at Geneva describing the session of the Co-ordination Committee on November 2 at which the efforts of the French and British Governments to promote a settlement of the conflict were welcomed. In the telegrams of December 10 the British representatives were instructed to make jointly with their French colleagues a communication to Signor Mussolini and the Emperor which in each case begins by stating that before the meeting of the Committee of Eighteen arranged for December 12 the British and French Governments, acting in accordance with the wishes expressed in the Co-ordination Committee on November 2, and anxious to see an early end put to the ItaloAbyssinian conflict, have endeavoured to draw up a basis of agreement. Message to Italy. In the telegram to Rome the Governments give an assurance of their anxiety to take account of Italian aspirations in so far as these can be made compatible with the principles of the Covenant of the League of Nations and respect for Ethiopian sovereignty. In both communications they state that they are convinced that the arrangement to be come to should be drawn up under the direction of the Committee of Five which received from the Council of the League of Nations in September last its mandate of conciliation, and they have decided to make certain suggestions urgently to that committee. They add that in order to make sure Signor Mussolini and the Emperor would accept the basis of negotiations in principle without prejudice to the result of the discussions which would subsequently take place before the committee, they are communicating the proposals to them in strict confidence. Convinced that Signor Mussolini and the Emperor will appreciate the friendly spirit which inspired their communication, the Governments address to each of them an urgent appeal that he should, without delay, take part in the negotiations for improving the international situation with most favourable prospects. To Rome they joined to this appeal a statement that they hope the reply of the Italian Government may reach them within . a period which in view of the imminence of the meetings at Geneva may be as short as possible. If, as they hope, this reply in principle is favourable, the French and United Kingdom Governments will immediately take the necessary steps in order that the Committee of Five may be called together on December 12 and in that case the meeting of the committee might modify the object of the meeting of the Committee of Eighteen fixed for the same day. Sir Samuel Hoare and M. Laval attach the greatest importance to learning at the same time from Signor Mussolini whether he is ready to arrange for the collaboration of the Italian Government with the Committee of Five. Appeal to Emperor. The appeal to the Emperor was reinforced in the following terms: The British and French Governments hope his Majesty will let them know as soon as possible if he agrees to negotiate on these conditions and is ready to arrange for the collaboration of the Ethiopian Government with the Committee of Five. Both telegrams conclude with a reference to the proposal that Abyssinia should have an outlet to the sea, and the representatives are advised that if the solution suggested (the cession by Italy of Assab and the corridor thereto) would in their view militate against acceptance of the basis they may say so. Failing such arrangement the Government of the iSiited Kingdom and the French Government are prepared to facilitate Ethiopia’s access to the sea in the manner which they stated to the Committee of Five. The Foreign Secretary sent an additional telegram to Sir Sidney Barton in which the latter was instructed to use his utmost influence to induce the Emperor to give careful and favourable consideration to the proposals and to on no account lightly reject them. The message adds: “I feel sure he will give further proof of his statesmanship by realizing the advantage of the opportunity of negotiation which they afford.”

ITALY’S AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION TO SPEED UP. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 8.40 p.m.) Rome, December 16. Signor Mussolini has ordered the aircraft industry to speed up construction for home and colonial needs.