SOCIALIST ITALY

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 302, 30 December 1935, Page 7

SOCIALIST ITALY

REFUSES TO BACK WAR

ANOTHER VIEW OF CAMPAIGN

BRUSSELS, November 25.

Democratic “and Socialist Italy, calling itself “The Italy of Tomorrow”—has “solemnly proclaimed that it will not recognise any debt contracted by Premier Musso-

lini for the pursuit of an abominable war,’’ according to the Executive of the Labour and Socialist International here.

In a unanimous resolution passed by the executive, every party affiliated to the Labour and Socialist International is enjoined to use all the political means of its disposal to secure that no financial assistance is given to the “Fascist crime” and to “terminate the scandal constituted by the unhindered supply of the aggressor with arms and munitions of every kind, whereas the state attacked is denied the most elementary means of defence.” The International also calls on the governments to fulfil their duty as members of the League of Nations. They suggest three steps: First, the closing, if necessary, of the Suez Canal to Italian war transports; secondly, bona fide arbitration “which would not be derisory as is the case with the present arbitration proceedings” which do not even permit any investigations as to whether Walwal is or is not within Ethiopia; thirdly, a guarantee of the independence and integrity of Ethiopia—a full member of the League—“in any event?’ and the unconditional rejection, of its partition into spheres of influence for the Great Powers or into a protectorate by a Great Power “even when they are given the appearance of economic and administrative concessions.” The Executive of the International further declares it has already contacted the International Federation of Trade Unions to seek common means by which the workers of the world may offer effective opposition to war. “But,” the resolution adds, “if war should nevertheless break out. the International express the hope on. behalf of the workers of all countries that the workers in Italy will succeed in taking advantage of The convulsions caused by the war in order to defeat the real enemy of the Italian people—which is not in Addis Ababa but in Rome.”

Finally, the International "solemnly draws the attention of the workers and of all friends of peace to the severe convulsions which might be caused in Europe by Italian war on Ethiopia and failure of the League "inter alia because of the encouragement which this would give to Hitlerite Germany.”