THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1935. EFFORTS FOR PEACE.

Wairarapa Age, 9 August 1935, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1935. EFFORTS FOR PEACE.

Prospects of agreement at the conference at which Britain, France and Italy are next week to discuss the Italo-Abyssinian dispute are declared to be not very bright. It is perfectly clear, however, that if war breaks out in East Africa it will be for the reason only that Italy is determined to embark on a buccaneering expedition in spite of all that the rest of the civilised. worlld can do to stop her. We are told to-day that Britain’s efforts at the conference will be concentrated on 1 rying to devise a system of economic concessions (by Abyssinia) acceptable to Italy, while Simultaneously preserving Abyssinia’s political independence. France concurs in this policy and is prepared to support an economic mandate to be exercised by the League. To this last the Emperor of Abyssinia also is prepared to agree, provided the political independence of his country is not in any way restricted. This plainly means that Italy is offered more than she has any possible right to demand—it was pointed out by the Emperor of Abyssinia some time ago that Italy's economic needs do not in themselves entitle her to plunder Abyssinia. Talk like that attributed to Signor Mussolini about Britain’s past colonising methods is beside Ihe point. Elven in the extent to which these methods are now open to question, the past cannot be recalled. The practical issue raised is whether international re-

lationships are to be governed now and as time goes on by worthy standards. If there are questions to be raised about the world supply of raw materials, these questions should be raised directly, and. not by way of a predatory attack upon, a backward African nation. The position remains extremely critical only because Italy appears to be turning a blind eye on reason and justice. This stands out very clearly in the ridiculous comments made by Italian newspapers on Mr. Anthony Eden’s recent statement:—

We named a day by which either the negotiations must succeed or else the League Council will have to discharge the obligations placed upon it by the Covenant. On the strength of this observation, Britain has been accused by Italian papers of attempting to anticipate action by the League or to usurp its functions. There are no possible grounds for any such accusation. All that Mr. Eden did was to point to the essential objects for which the League was constituted—objects to which Italy, equally with Britain is pledged. The tide of rabid vilification to which Britain has lately been subjected by the Italian Press obviously finds its explanation, not in any just cause of complaint, but in the fact that Britain has made it clear that she is ready to honour her pledges to the League, while Italy is trampling her pledges under foot. THE OPEBA HOUSE. A much more hopeful aspect is imparted to the problem of the Opera House by the proposals submitted to the Trust Lands Trust last evening. As they were stated by Mr. H. P. Hugo on behalf of interested local societies, these proposals may not be perfect in every detail, but in their broad effect evidently are well entitled to the favourable consideration members of the Trust appeared to be very willing to extend to them. The general ' idea is that the Trust should lease the building and site on easy terms to an incorporated, but non-profit-making society—representative, presumably, of .local musical, dramatic and other interested organisations—which would assume full financial responsibility for the structural restoration and equipment of the Opera House, This uppers to be the only method by which the Opera House can be restored without making an undue and unwarranted call on the revenues of the Trust. There should be no hesitation about commending the proposal heartily. Details that remain open to discussion and adjustment are more or less of a minor character. Under the arrangement proposed, the Trust may sacrifice something in revenue over an extended period, but this should hardly amount to more than a justifiable subsidy for the encouragement of music and the drama and other desirable forms of public entertainment. A fairly heavy financial call on local societies will be entailed in financing the restoration of the Opera House. In the right conditions of co-operation, however, the load should not be too heavy to carry, particularly if the projected incorporated society is able to spread the expenditure over a reasonable period of years. It should be perfectly compatible with sound financial plans to arrange for the use of the Opera House on much easier terms than have ruled for a good many years past. One very vital condition of success in the enterprise no doubt is a considerable extension of activity by musical, dramatic and other organisations. In view, however, of the extent to which these organisations are and have been hampered by the lack of a suitable theatre, there should be no very great difficulty in satisfying that condition.