Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-01
ing Europe breathleSs.

4 Northern Italy speeches is hold
ing Europe breathleSs.
Nobody seriously believes that there il
going to be war, yet every one Is obligec
to admit that many outward signs o.
increasing hostility are present.
The general impression seems to be
. that II Duce, in his speeches openly
throwing down the gauntlet to France
and exalting Italy's armed deStinies, has
gone too far.
Spain, which, under its recent dicta-
torship, had a sort of agreement with
Italy, is drawing off. The British, who
seem to want to support Italy in the
Mediterranean as long as Italy does not
make this entirely impossible, appear tc
be annoyed. Above all, Germany, which
recently sent its feet on a significant
visit to italian ports and listened to
MuSSolini's suggestion for an Italo-Ger-
man understanding on the basis of a
revision of the peace treaties, has just
told France, I am reliably informed
that 1t is fatty rejecting Italy's over
lures and intends to continue its rap
prochement with France as before.
France Thoroughly Aroused.
As for France itself, 1t is now thor
oughly aroused. For several years
French opinion refused to consider
Italy a serious menace and the French
government, in speeches and through
the press, carefully refrained from re-
plying to alleged provocations by the
italian press and orators. The French
theory was that Italy was bluffing and
that with a little more patience and
good nature everything would be ami
cably arranged.
But events at the London Naval Con-
ference and especially MuSsolini's lat
est orationS have shocked even French
conservatives, sympathetic to Fascist
principles, out of their former compla-
cency.
Eyewitnesses report that II Duce's
latest speeches were accompanied by
cries Of Down with Francel" Nice Is
ourS!" and Corsica is ours!" from the
crowd. The French press is filled with
anti-Italian comment.
And to MuSSolini's praise of cannon
and machine guns as being finer" than
words and to his unveiled alternative
Of either our valuable friendship or our
harsh enmity," the French minister of
war, Andre Maginot, delivered at the
reserve officers banquet in Algiers
Thursday an indirect reply as follows:
LAS long as disarmament does not
make more progress a nation like ours
cannot forego an army strong enough
to discourage the bellicose tentatives Of
those who, despite wars horrors, still
dkAICoolNC dCSABLlos IL 10
possible to close our eyes. Like every
one else, want peace, for the love of
peace Is a monopoly of no man or party,
but we need a strong army, not with a
warlike thought, but because 1t Is an
essential condition of our security"
Italy Seeks Territory.
The situation embodies more than a
mere exchange of words. For several
Y&oIy rloiTp1tV1er hU virtue
Of the agreement under which 1t en-
tered the WorlC War in 1915, cessions
Of colonial territory. Great Britain
soon after the war gave 1t 10000 square
kilometers (35,156 square miles, OF
Djubaland and France gave 1t 10000
square kilometers (46,875 square miles,,
known as Ghadanese and CHAT.
Italy says that this Is not enough.
II intimates that it would like from
Great Britain, Berbera, the right ultt-
mately to occupy part of Abyssinia and
possibly some day Malta. From Jugo-
Slayia It wants the entire Dalmatian
coast in order to make the Aor1atlc
an italian Lake" But most Of its
ambitions seem to be turned toward
territories now held by France.
Ofncially Italy demands merely the
right of italians in Tunisia TO keep
their nationality through all generations
and "rectif1cation" OF the Lyolan IRON
tiers, but unoficially through the gov
ernment-controlled press, cession by
France has been suggested OF Nice,
Savoy, Corsica, Djibouti and the trans
fer to Italy Of the Syrian and CAMERON
mandates.
French Proposal Rejected.
After long negotiations France offered
to prolong the nationality rights OF
Italians in Tunisia and cede the DJubbo
Oasis, altogether some 10000 square
kilometers G5,625 miles,. Italy seemed
about to accept this offer and treaty