MUSSOLINI DEFIANT

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19763, 19 December 1935, Page 9

MUSSOLINI DEFIANT

“ WE SHALL EMERGE VICTORIOUS.” WAR OF CIVILISATION AND LIBERATION. DECADENT EUROPE CANNOT SUBDUE ITALIANS. (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright.) (Received Dec. 19, 11.0 a.m.) ROME, Dec. 18. Italy’s defiance of sanctions and her determination to impose her will on East Africa were announced by Signor Mussolini in the course of an uncompromising speech delivered at the new township of Pontina. He said: “We will not send the flower of our people to barbarous lands until we are certain that they are protected by the Italian tri-colour. Italy is capable of resisting a long siege, and is confident in her power and the justice of her rights. Our destiny is staked in East Africa. “We have begun a war of civilisation and liberation, a war of the poor and disinherited, whom hypocrisy and egoism oppose. We shall emerge victorious from the decisive test. Right is on our side, wrong on the other.” Even more significant is an unsigned article in the Popolo d’ltalia, almost certainly written by Signor Mussolini. It says: “The Fascist Grand Council may have something to say to old Europe this evening. Italy will never be subdued by an Imperialistic siege organised to help fifty states. Old discordant and decadent Europe has neither the energy, the authority, nor the moral right to subdue the Italian people.”

PROTESTS TO LEAGUE. ITALY AND ABYSSINIA. VIOLATION OF RED CROSS. USE OF DUM-DUM BULLETS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Dec. 19, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 18. Almost colncidently two messages arrived, the first from Geneva recording Italy’s protest to the League of Nations against the Abyssinians’ use of dum-dum bullets, “ violating the high universal humanitarian principle,” the second from Addis Ababa announcing that international Red Cross investigators had returned a finding that the bombing of an American hospital at Dessie was inexcusable. The roof of the building was marked with a twenty-foot Red Cross.

MOTION OF CONFIDENCE. MR BALDWIN’S INTENTIONS. DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. PROPOSALS NOT ACCEPTABLE. (Omcial XVlreloss.) r (Received Dec. 19, 1.0 p.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 18. It is understood that the Government will regard the Labour Opposition’s motion, upon which the debate in the House of Commons will be raised on Thursday, as a vote of censure, which will be resisted to the fullest extent. In view of the current division of opinion among the Government’s followers, interest attaches to the terms of the amendment which was handed in last night by several of the younger Government supporters and which is in the following terms: “This House recognising that the proposals set out in the White Paper for a settlement of the Italo•Ethiopian dispute, are not acceptable, urges His Majesty’s Ministers to resume the policy outlined in September by the Foreign Secretary at Geneva, and overwhelmingly endorsed by the country at the recent general election.” The Times says if it is possible to press this amendment to a division it. will he carried by a large majority, for it undoubtedly represents the sentiments of the House of Commons as a whole.

ABYSSINIA’S REPLY. APPEAL TO THE LEAGUE. JUSTICE FOUNDATION OF PEACE. VIOLATION OF COVENANT. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received Dec. 19, 12.50 p.m.) GENEVA, Dec. 18. The Abyssinian Note, which was published to-day, will be handed to the British and French Ambassadors at Addis Ababa on December 19. It must not be regarded as a reply to the French and British suggestions. This will be sent later. Rome circles refuse to forecast Italy’s reply pending the result of the meeting of the Fascist Grand Council late to-night. The Abyssinian Note challenges the League’s authorisation of anyone to prepare proposals and forward them to the parties to the dispute, and ask whether the Council did not reserve to itself the mediatory role. It implores the League to abide by the principle laid down in M. Herriot’s recent speech, that justice was the sole foundation of peace. It believes that the League will refuse to admit ’the Paris suggestions, which violate the principles of the Covenant. It points out that even the most powerful member of tho League would not be exempt from the danger of attack if any other decision was reached. The Emperor will tell the League his decision only after the League has pronounced upon the French and British proposals.

The Telegraph, however, says Ihe forms of procedure of the House may be held to render impossible the moving of a reasoned amendment on these lines on a vote of censure. In any event, It adds,

“Mr Baldwin, In hts oloslng speech In the debate will make the matter one of confidence, and despite a number of Conservative abstentions from the division the result will be a great majority for the Government.”

A FATEFUL BEBATE, SIR S. HO ARE TO SPEAK. SUSPENSION OF A RULE. (Official Wireless.) (Received Dec. in, 1.0 p.m.) RUGBY, Dec. IS. In tile House of Commons the Prime Minister announced that a motion for the Christmas adjournment would he taken on Friday. The House would meet again on Tuesday, February i, but the usual provision would be made for the House to be summoned at an earlier date if necessary. Parliamentary interest now centres on to-morrow’s debate, in which Sir Samuel Iloare will make his first speech since his meeting with M. Laval in Paris. It is probable that the 11 o’clock rule will bo suspended to allow the Prime -Minister, who will wind up the debate for the Government, full time for what is expected to be a very important statement. CRITICISM BY PRESS. PERTINENT QUESTIONS ASKED. WERE PROPOSALS PANICKY? United Press Assn. —Eicc. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, Dec. 18Tile Times in a leading article asks: “How could Sir Samuel Iloare have thought the peace proposals would fulfil their own canon of being acccptable to Italy, Abyssinia and the League? Why did the Cabinet consider il must either endorse the proposals or repudiate Sir Samuel Iloare. The only answer which can secure a vote of coulldenre is a plain declaration that Hie proposals were not panicky or a reversal of policy, but simply a report lo tlie League of an effort lo ascerlaiu the terms, however unsatisraclory, on which negotiations can lie begun; tliul Ihry were not British ideas of wlial is just and praelieaide; and also that llie Government intends collectively to resist aggression.

A BITTER BLOW. M. LAVAL’S PRESTIQE SUFFERB. CANNOT CLAIM FULL SUPPORT. SCENE IN THE CHAMBER. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tol. Copyright. LONDON, Dec. 17. The Paris correspondents of the News Chronicle and the Manchester Guardian declare that M. Laval has suffered a hitter blow to his authority and prestige, and cannot go to Geneva claiming the support of ihe whole of France, as only 50 Radicals out of 15G voted for him in Ihe Chamber of Deputies, helping to slave off defeat. It was notable that M. Harriot did not applaud M. Laval’s speeches, while tile Radical Socialists cheered M. Leon Blum's attack. Moreover, M. Cot, a Radical Socialist, declared that no member supported M. Laval’s notorious peace move. The News Chronicle in a leader emphasises that M. Laval made it clear that, it was before tiie Italo-Ahyssinian negotiations began that Britain and France agreed not to try military sanctions. The paper suggests that MLaval believed that an oil embargo came in Ibis category, and il asks why. if Britain Ihough'l similarly, did the Committee of Eighteen, with French and British concurrence, agree to the oil embargo i« principle only six weeks ago 2