The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-26
BRITISH SILVER
AT PICTURE OF
'CAESAR-DUCE'
Italy in Position to Be Domi-
mating Power of All
Europe.
BY LUDWELL DENNY
Times Special Writer

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-Why is
Great Britain suddenly preparing
for a possible war against Italy
what is her stake in a second class
row in Ethiopia?
This question was studied in Off
cial Washington today as the cables
piled up disturbing evidence that
the mighty British Empire, for the
first time since the armiStice of
1918, is seriously considering fighting
on vast scale.
Although experts here still think
there is an even chance that Mus
Solini and the London government
may come to terms before it is too
late, they are not disposed to laugh
off such danger reports as the fol-
lowing:
Dispatch of the British Mediter-
ranean fleet from Malta to defense
positions in and around the Suez
Canal-A huge naval concentration
at Alexandria, others at Cyprus, at
Palestine ports, at both the Mediter
ranean and Red Sea entrances of
the Suez, and in the canal itself;
Recall of the inspector general Of
the Egyptian army;
Concentration of the British-Su-
dan air forces.
Convinced Empire Is in Peril
John Bull is not hastily leaping
into all of these emergency prepara-
tions just to help little Ethiopia on
to help the League q Nations. In
the past Downing Stress has been
friendly, rather than otherwise, to
many of Italy's ambitions in Ethio-
pia. AS for the League, the British
government largely prevented &C
ton against japanese aggression in
China. and London turned its head
the other way when Mussollni on
former occasions successfully def1ed
the League.
But the government and influen-
tial public opinion groups in Great
Britain have suddenly become con-
WINGED that the empire itself is
threatened. That is the explanation
in diplomatic circles here today OF
the wide war preparations.
Britains danger from Italian
conquest in East Africa is de-
scribed by diplomats as follows:
l. Lake Tsana in Ethiopia con-
trolls the flow of the Blue Nile and
thus the life of the Sudan and
Egypt, key not only of the Brit
ish Empire in Africa, but also in
the Near East, India and the Far
East.
Fear Sea Rule by Italy
2. An Ethiopian war, whether won
by the black defenders or by the
white invaders, would encourage
upheavals throughout the colored
colonial areas of the world-that IS,
throughout most of the British En-
pire, including Cape-to-Cario Africa
and India. Of all the things the
British Empire fears, the worst by
far is the danger of a holy war of
color against white rulers.
3. Italy can not take or hold
Ethiopia without naval control Of
the Mediterranean and Red Seas
Italian naval control either as a
Junior naval partner of Britain or
successor to Britain as mistress OF
those strategic seas. The British Tor
the first time fear that Mussolini Is
not content with the former role
but aims to supplant Britain as
the dictator of that lifeline OF
colonial empire.
On Weakest Side
That, of course, would literally cut
in two the British Empire. 1t would
turn Britain overnight into sec
ond class power, subject to Mus
solini dictatorship in colonial and
foreign policy.
4. A major increase of Italian
power in the Mediterranean and
African areas, on any terms other
than as a junior British partner,
would draw France farther away
from Britain and closer to Mus
solini.
That would isolate Britain and |
leave her little except her new naval
understanding with the tricky Hit
Ter. She would suddenly find her
self on the weakest and most I'M
popular side of the European bal
ance of power, instead of in her
present position of dominant part
ner on the strongest side.