Evening star., 1929-12-01
IMMUNITY OF FOOD SHIPS
is WEIGHED BY THE NATIONS
Humanitarian Aspects of Hoover Sugges-
ton Seen by Some, but Approval
Has Hindrances.

mind with bitter memories OF the last
years Of the great war, when the allied
blockade began to spread starvation
abroad In the land. Earlier incidents
in Belgium are forgotten or overlooked.
Austria, too, remembers the gaunt
scarcity which preceded the Anal de-
feat. Germany and Austria, both dis
armed by the peace treaty and both
dependent upon outside sources of food
supply, see nothing but good IN the
Hoover proposal.
Japan as a naval power is even more
interested. The Japanese navy is su-
preme in the Western Pacific. Even II
1t were not, the cutting off OF her food
supplies Is not her principal concern.
The Japanese could in case OF necessity
feed themselves from their own rG~
sources. On the other hand. no naval
blockade which they could establish
would seriously affect China, or Russia,
or the United States, or any other
hypothetical enemy Of Japan.
The JapeneSe are willing enough,
then, to grant immunity to food ships
In time Of war, but they would like to
see that immunity extended to ships
carrying oil, and coal, and Steel and
other supplies. These are absolutely
necessary to the maintenance of Japan's
economic machinery, and even more so
for the waging of war, for her domestic
sources are utterly inadequate.
More diverse and considered discus
sion is to be heard In the capitals of the
European naval powers. Some of the
Fascist supervision Of the press. got on
on the wrong foot. It has been cus-
tomary for the Fascist press, even while
Signor MuSSoltni gives q cautious well
come to all proposals in the way of dis
armament, to rail at such proposals as
utterly unrelated to the realities Of
world politics in general and the reali-
ties of Italy'S restricted resources in
particular.
Called window Dressing.
It Is a favorite Fascist thesis-and
none has been more vocal in support
Of 1t than II Duce himself-that Italy
must have more territory, colonial or
otherwise, and that she must prepare
herself to go to war for it If she cannot
get it by peaceful means. A corollary
attitude toward all proposals for limi-
tation Of armaments or the renuncia-
ton of war.
The general effort seems to be to inn
press the Italian people with the idea
that, while such limitation and renun-
citation may furnish politicians with
means Of deceiving their constituents,
the whole thing Is really nothing but
window dressing, and that when the
occasion for war arises war will come.
In accordance with this general ten
dency, the first response in Italy to the
proposal to exempt food ships was to
| characterize it as another deceptive ef-
| fort of the Americans to impose their
own wishes on the rest Of the world,
particularly on England, and to insure
a market for their food exports In the
case Of European war.
Then the realities" Of Italy's own
situation seem to have been brought
into the discussion. Italy must import
a considerable portion of her own food
supplies. Her peninsular geography
makes the sea routes the natural source
Of supply. She is therefore particu-
larly susceptible to a naval blockade.
At the same time there would be little
opportunity for italy seriously TO cur
tail the sea a-borne food supply Of any
hypothetical enemy.
Under these circumstances there has
| been q sudden soft-pedaling of the
Fascist press on the Hoover proposal.
Perhaps it would not be so bad for
Italy after all. And italian spokesmen
hasten to point out that Italy is pl-
ways IN favor OF any action designed to
avert the dangers Of war or TO mitigate
its evils.
Blow at League, French Protest.
France has been most outspoken in
opposition to the Hoover suggestion,
This opposition Is not based upon the
TACT that France is practically self
supporting in the matter of food sup
plies. French opinion hastens to the
rescue Of the threatened League of Ma
tions.
More keenly hurt than any one else
by Americas failure to join the League,
tnere Is always lingering suspicion of
Americas good will toward that organi-
zatlon. Whether maliciously or mad
vertently, President Hoover, they feel.
mas by this new proposal aimed a blow
at the League.
While there exists q so-called "gap"
N the covenant under which member
nations can legitimately 20 to war.
league obligations in general are so
designed that any nation resorting to
war by so doing will become an ag-
greSSor nation and an outlaw so far as
the League is concerned.
The covenant contemplates the possi-
plllty, even the probability, of a COM
olned military effort to restrain the ap-
greSSor. But 1t also relies to a large
extent upon the severance Of all trade
[eIationS with the aggreSsor by other
Va OIlC League.
1t is here that the Hoover superstition
cuts under the League in the oninion
OF Its French defenders. The .Ieagne
boycott naturally would include trade
IN toodStuffS. The cutting off of food
supplies would be one of the most 81.
iectlVe means by which League MEM
ners could bring q recalcitrant nation
TO terms.
President Hoover's proposal would
strike this
the French see it, this would act &C
olrect encouragement to any aggressive
minded nation to resort to war To attain
ItS enc. AT the very best 1t would en-
sue the aggresSor to escape one of the
severest penalties of his aggression.
1. 30 1ar as the French are concerned.
lne proposal to exempt food ships from
navai interference takes all Of the sub
Stance OUT OF the Kellogg pact. In their
by which America could associate itseIS
WIN the members of the League in the
suppression Of an aggressor state.
Military Factor Weighed.
Although the United States could mot
De expected to employ it's armed forces
IN such League operation, It Is as
Suneo that an aggreSSor under the cove
nant would also be q violator Of the
Kellogg pact and that the United states
could not therefore insist upon its rights
as neutral to carry on trade with the
aggreSsor state without stiltifying itself
ms 1t seemed greatly strengthened
tne League. But II food ships are 10 be
exempted then a most vital source OF
Strength Is to be conserved to an aV-
the idea -Ne
Behind this frank and open opposi-
ton Of French opinion there is a small
and silent but very powerful Qroup
which thinks more specifically in terms