ITALY BUILDING MORE WARSHIPS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 1

ITALY BUILDING MORE WARSHIPS.

NAVAL HOLIDAY PLAN ABANDONED

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

LONDON, January 1. The Rome correspondent of “ The Times ” states that any extension of the Franco-Italian naval construction holiday has obviously been abandoned. The newspapers give prominence to a list of vessels launched in 1930, totalling 59,000 tons, including six cruisers, six submarines and three destroyers, and refer to units being launched in 1931, including the 10,000-ton cruiser Pola, which is being laid down in March. The papers emphasise the Italian determination to achieve “ a constant growing efficiency which is rendered necessary by the present international situation. MUSSOLINI BROADCASTS SPEECH IN ENGLISH. LONDON, January 1. “ The Times ” says {hat Signor Mussolini’s first broadcast speech in English, in which language he has recently been taking lessons from an English woman, was received in London and passed on to the United States by telephone. Signor Mussolini said that he was most anxious to contradict the rumours spread abroad about Fascism’s alleged danger to world peace. He had himself served in the ranks and was severely wounded in the war. The terrible memories had never left him.

As head of the Government, every aspect of war’s terrible consequences were ever before him. Italy needed peace. Fascism desired to co-operate with other peoples seeking peace. Another outbreak between two Powers would inevitably become general and would endanger civilisation.