ITALIANS ADAMANT

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1935, Page 5

ITALIANS ADAMANT

FAILURE OF COMMITTEE BRITISH SPEECH WAITED ITALIAN MOBILISATION By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 10. While the conciliation sub-committee is still sitting at Geneva there seems nothing left for the principal committee but to present its. views to the League Council without further consultation with Italy. The League has not urged Ethiopia to make anything more than economic concessions to Italy, and the League has 'never countenanced political or military control by one Power, although international management may yet be considered. Sir Samuel Hoare, British Foreign Secretary, at the League Assembly to-mor-row morning, will make a pronouncement of first-class importance on the Abyssinian question. Sir Samuel and Mr. R. A. Eden had a long conversation this morning after which both saw M. Laval (France). It is understood that Sir Samuel will base his speech largely on the necessity for keeping the British and French policy in step. Italy’s unchanging ' attitude coincides with Ethiopia’s fresh protest to the League reporting menacing Italian troop 'movements. Those desiring to avoid further scenes are endeavouring to persuade the Abyssinians to forgo their intention of speaking to-morrow, but in the Assembly Ethiopia is an equal among the nations and there is nothing to prevent Professor Jeze, French Ambassador to Abyssinia, appealing to a larger audience, resulting in the Italians certainly walking out. The British United Press correspondent ' says that the Italians hint that they will ignore the findings of the conciliation committee, which in that case will submit its recommendations to the Council under Article 15, which deals with a dispute “likely to lead to a rupture.” The votes of the parties to the dispute are excluded. Here again the Council will

try to effect a settlement. Failing that, it will publish a report containing a statement of the facts and the terms of the settlement recommended. If the report? is unanimous (other than the votes of the interested parties) it need not be accepted by the disputants, but members of the League are pledged not to go to war with a party that carries out the Council’s recommendations. Signor Mussolini has ordered preparations for a trial mobilisation throughout Italy and her colonies as a demonstration of the country’s military strength, says a cable from Rome. It is surmised that it will coincide with the beginning of war in Abyssinia. It is estimated that 20,000,000 men and boys will answer the summons of syrens and bells and will abandon their jobs and scamper in uniforms to the nearest assembling point. The Abyssinian Foreign Office has refused permission to the Italian legation to bring in 200 native troops as a guard, leading to complaints of the unfairness of this after Abyssinia had granted similar permission to the British. Count Vinci has protested against the detention of Italian protected subjects attached to northern consulates when the latter posts were evacuated. The Greek Government has protested to Italy regarding an Italian cruiser and two destroyers which have made an unauthorised entrance to Greek ports. Mr. Eden met M. Laval again this evening to continue the conversations. These discussions, which are regarded as manifesting the cordial spirit of co-opera-tion and the close community of ideas which exist between the British and French Governments, are assumed to be connected with the main problems before the League, particularly the Italo-Abys-sinlan' conflict, and to be directed towards harmonising the points of view of the two delegations in regard to the procedure in various eventualities. The committee of five and the experts are still engaged in a study of the Italian and Abyssinian cases in order to be in a position to make a report to the Council on any settlement it may be found possible to recommend to the parties, with whom the chairman of the committee, Senor Madariaga, is informally, in touch. Neither party has yet been before the committee. A variety of suggestions has been put forward for a basis of peaceful settlement, and all these will be considered, but meanwhile the British delegation has denied reports that it was proposed to the committee that an international or League mandate should be established over Abyssinia. Well-informed quarters also make a similar denial. riiHiiKiiniiiniiiitiniininniiiiiiitiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii'iioiiiiiiiM