Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
Crandi to Front i'm Italy

! thinks a critical period will come be-
tween 1885 and 1910. He wants to be
ready. when and If the explosion
! comes, to obtain the pluns promised
under the Pact of London, which Will
son and Clemenceau tore up in Paris.
until the hour strikes. Given strength,
prestige, preparedness, also friends won
by an astute diplomacy, and who
knows what may fall into the italian
lap without blow being struck?
In the days of Lloyd George and
Curzon and a British pro-Greek policy.
there was tension with Italy. Those
British statesmen feared an Italian
jump into Asia Minor and worked to
circumvent it. When they fell and
their policy collapsed. the PalaZzo
Chigi let bygones be bygones and ar
ranged a naval understanding with a
Britain now anxious for friendly rela-
lions with a power of growing strength
whom it saw entrenched, from Sicily
to Rhodes. along the path of Britain's
main communications with India and
the East. Mussolini and Chamberlain
broke the ice in personal conversation.
Grandi took over from that point.
Understanding of Turkey.
Turkey had feared Italian intentions,
but gradually Grand whitfield down
that fear and arranged an understand
ing. Italian influence in Turkey Is now
superior to French influence. Grand
has talked to Venezelos, and Italy,
Greece and Turkey are now happy
little family party.
Very busy Grand has been in Berlin,
in Vienna, in Budapest, in Belgrade
and Bucharest. He has talked "our
common interests" to Jugoslavia. but
JugoslaVia Is coy.
Grandi read his history, studied the
precedents, learned all the tricks. The
play was. and is, all around France.
And the play did not begin with Mus
solini and may not end with Grandi.
Its roots are buried in traditional
jealousy For the origin Of that you
have to go back to Napoleon III and
Cavour Cavour persuaded Napoleon
that it would be advantageous for
France. and incidentally for Napoleon
III, to make united kingdom Of the
disunited italian states. The Quai
d'Orsay has been regretting the
achievement of the united Italian
nation ever since.
If, as Fascist statesmen have said TO
me- the guiding principle of the Quai
d'Orsay is that the advancement OF an
Italian interest anywhere in the world
reacts to the detriment Of France. and
must be opposed, the guiding principle
of the Palazzo Chigi is that until
France accepts italy as her equal in
every way there is bound to be friction,
and while this state of affairs exists the
chief business of a Fascist foreign
minister is to uphold Italy's end VISA
Wis France in and out OF season ana
on all occasions.
This clenched, endless struggle be-
tween the two foreign ministries has
been going on so long that it has be-
come one of the standing jokes OF
diplomacy.
Office. Grand began to take lessons in
French and English at home. He got
on much better with French, which he
, now speaks fluently, than with English.
Coming to London for the naval con-
ference it was noticed that he kept
carefully to English on all occasions.
His grammar was excellent, but the
consensus was that his pronunciation
was a bit off key. On many occasions
he would have been much better under
stood had he spoken in French. But
not a word of French did he speak.
Biggest Task to Date.
The naval conference was his biggest
task to date in public. He had wished
to stand up for the Italian case, and he
stood up for 1t with the utmost skill,
resolution and adroitness. Time and
again the worried British and Ameri-
cans, anxious for full f1ve-power agree
ment. tried to make him fall of his
applicant. He stuck on, not desperately
but with grace and aplomb. And 1t was
no light task to play his cards so as to
uphold Italy's claim to parity with
France, while contriving not to be
Unanswered into a position of isolation
or to present italy to the world In the
light of an obstinate nation determined
to smash the conference rather than see
reason.
His play was entirely successful. 1t
was clear to all that Italy could not
engage in a naval race with France
Immediately and in all branches with
out breaking the financial structure
and cracking the regime Nevertheless,
it was necessary to maintain the claim
of parity.
There have been no wild adventures
since Grand took over responsibility for
Italy's foreign policy. Tension with
France remains, but it has not in
creased, and one cannot say that Italy
has been more than usually annoying
to Jtgoslavia. Grandi has, In short,
made the best Of things, and skillfully
preserved the status quo.