The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1936 TURKEY HITS BACK.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20335, 6 February 1936, Page 8

The Timaru Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1936 TURKEY HITS BACK.

After all Italy's claim to be regarded as the civilising influence so urgently needed in darkest Abyssinia, it lias remained for the one time “Terrible Turk” to administer a salutary rebuke to the modern Caesar! The Supreme Council of National Defence, is now sitting in solemn conclave in Rome to consider Italy’s relations with contiguous Mediterranean Powers, but it is obvious that the deliberations of the assembled Fascists have yielded nothing but disappointment:

Italian officials do not disguise their disappointment over Turkey’s reply to the Italian inquiry, whether her assurances of support given to Britain in the event of unjustified aggression, were not a breach of the TurkishItalian Treaty of Friendship of 1928. Officially, Turkey made a reply that will become historic. While loyal to the Turkish-Italian Treaty of Friendship of 1928, Turkey declared that her obligations under the Covenant of the League of Nations took precedence over private agreements. The lineal descendants of the “Terrible Turk” might have exposed the untenableness of Italy's attitude by reminding the Supreme Council of National Defence that among Turkey’s fellow-signatories to an agreement imposing obligations that could not be regarded as being subservient to private undertaking, is Italy herself. The official Turkish spokesman might have reminded Italy of the existence of other treaties, not only of mutual friendship, but of mutual undertaking to have no recourse to war for the settlement of international disputes. If the leaders of the new Turkish Republic had felt inclined to remind Italy of her own obligations, they would not have offended against good manners. As a matter of fact, in 1928, Abyssinia signed a twenty-four Pact of Friendship and Arbitration with Italy; a treaty that was reaffirmed in an official statement issued in Rame as recently as September 29, 1934. Article II of the Pact contained the mutual pledge that neither party would take any action detrimental to the independence of the other. Article V laid down that “both Governments undertake to submit to a procedure of conciliation and arbitration, disputes which may arise between them, and which it may not have been possible to settle, by ordinary diplomatic methods, without having recourse to armed force.” Moreover, Turkey might have reminded Italy of what happened in 1923. Abyssinia applied for admission to the League of Nations, and doubts were thrown by Great Britain, among others, upon her capacity for fulfilling obligations as a State member. The Fascist Government of Italy, on the other hand, expressing the views of Signor Mussolini, strongly and successfully supported Abyssinian candidature, but to-day Italian spokesmen are denouncing Geneva for having permitted Abyssinia to become a member 1 of the League I Hence it would have been timely had Turkey pointed out to Italy that the obligations which are regarded by Turkey and other League Members as of the highest importance in the relations between the nations, had been accepted by Abyssinia, no less than Italy as Members of the League, and they provide (under Article 10 of the Covenant) that “members of the League undertake to respect and preserve against external aggression the territorial integrity and existing political independence of all members of the League.” Moreover, under Article 16, also bearing the signature of Italy, the Covenant provides that “should any member of the League resort to war in disregard of Covenant . ... it shall ipso facto be deemed to have committed an act of war against all other members of the League.” The Turkish Government, on its part, has more regard for the sanctity of the Council of the League of Nations—which is the only sure shield the smaller Powers have against the aggressor —than mere friendship with Italy. It is not a matter for surprise, therefore, that Italy’s relations with contiguous Mediterranean Powers—in view of Signor Mussolini’s warlike outbursts —should have convinced them that their only salvation lies in marshalling their united support behind Britain in defence of the principles of the Covenant of the League of Nations, which Italy, in her saner days, undertook to honour. THE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS. Notwithstanding the Dominionwide interest aroused by the periodical pronouncements by members of the first Labour Administration to assume office in New Zealand, not very much importance should be attached to the statement of national accounts issued this morning by the Minister of Finance. The operations which cover the three quarters of the current financial year, do not embrace many weeks of .Labour's activities in office. Most important of all will be the Government’s pronouncement on the measures it proposes to enact in fulfilment of its promise to lift the country back to a high plane of prosperity and security by the introduction of currency reform and abolition of high exchange.