Evening star., 1935-06-24
MUSSOL|N| READY
TO INSIST LEAGUE
EXCLUDE ETHIOPIA
Reported Planning Move if
Eden Raises Subject
of Conflict.
DISCUSSION CONSIDERED
INEVITABLE BY BRITISH
Duce Said to Have Spurned Reich
Naval Pact Explanations in
Rome Conference.

(Copyrisht, 1885, by the Associated Press )
ROME, JUNE 24.-Wen Informed
sources said today that Premier Mus
solini in conference with Capt. An
thony Eden of Great Britain is pre-
pared to demand the exclusion OF
Ethiopia from the League of Nations
If the British diplomat raises the sub
ject of the Italo-Ethiopian conflict
and its effect upon the League.
Oficial Italian circles said they
hoped the subject would not be
brought up between the two states
men. but British authorities said they
considered its discussion inevitable.
The two foregathered at Venezia
Palace this morning and conversed
for two hours on the Anglo
naval pact and the proposed Western
European aviation agreement.
Explanations Stunned.
Italian sources said II Duce turned
a deaf ear to Eden's explanations of
Great Britain's naval accord with
Germany.
Italians predicted freely that no
results would come from the confer
ence between II Duce and Britain's
rowing representative of peace, save
possibly for a European air accord.
Concerning the Anglo-German
naval accord, they said Mussolini told
Capt. Eden he could not approve the
unilateral manner in which it was
reached without bringing Italy and
France into the final discussion.
May Ask Higher Ratio.
II Duce also reserved the right to
ask for higher ratio in any general
naval conference than the is battle
ships granted to Italy under the
Washington treaty, compared to five
for the United States and Great
Britain, they declared.
Italian sources said the issues of the
1talo-Ethiopian dispute and the
League of Nations, of withdrawal from
which press threats have been issued,
would not be discussed at the morning
meeting.
If it came up at later conversations,
they asserted, Mussolini would tell
Eden that Italy intended to go ahead
with complete radical" solution of
the Ethiopian problem and would not
listen to any partial solutions such
as concessions of territory.
Visit Is Minimized.
Indicative of the italian attitude
toward Eden's visit was the fact that
newspapers were instructed not to give
1t prominence.
Both British and italian official
circles characterize as ridiculous re-
ports published abroad that Eden
would offer Mussolini the African
territory Of Ogaden.
Even If Italy were to receive such
an offer, officials said she would re-
fuse it. declining any partial solution
of the East African border contro-
versy
British circles insisted that Ogaden
was not Edens to offer, and that not
even British pressure could be sufi-
cient to induce Emperor Halle Selassie
of Ethiopia to offer it.
Sir Eric Drummond, British Am
OdoodAOA W dlo
Strang, foreign office expert, accom-
panied Capt. Anthony Eden to Venezia
Palace for the conversations.
Morning Talk Short.
The morning conference was short,
the British diplomat leaving Venezia
Palace shortly before noon, prelimi-
nary to a luncheon Mussolini was
giving in his honor at large hotel.
An official communique, issued at the
conclusion of the first meeting, said:
This morning the head of the
government received British Minister
Eden in Venezia Palace and talked
to him cordially for about two hours.
During the conversation the Anglo
German naval pact of June 18, prof.
ects of an aerial agreement and other
questions which were contained in
the Anglo-French declarations of Feb
ruary were examined"
In view of the fact the communique
(see MUssOLINI, Page -