Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-10-05
ETHIOPIAN STRIFE
HELDBEYOND WAR
World Opinion Considers i
Massacre-Crimes OF
Dictatorship Seen.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

What shall the hostilities IN Etm-
opia be called?
The United States Government
hesitates to call it war" because
then a proclamation of neutrality
must be issued. And the Roosevelt
administration would prefer to wait
until some other countries. preferably
European, should proclaim the ex-
istence of state of war.
There is, to be sure, feeling here
that even proclamation Of neutrality,
before other nations do 1t, might be
viewed in Italy as an unfriendly
gesture.
But there are reasons why people
outside Of the governments of the
world will hesitate to call the tragedy
in Ethiopia war" When one con-
testant is helpless against bombing
airplanes and machine guns, the
sporting spirit and sense Of fairness
of the observing public in every coun-
try will be inclined to think of the
Italian bombardments and advances
as nothing more or less than a mas
sacre.
It was Lloyd George who stood be-
fore the assembled peace representa-
tives Of Europe and the United States
at Paris in 1919 and called war by
term that may be revived If events in
Ethiopia continu as the press dis
patches of the last 48 hours have in
dicated-he termed it organized mur-
der" and organized savagery."
Italian Press One-sided.
The Italian people are, of course, I'M
able to decide the merits of the ques-
lions for themselves. The press of
Italy is one-sided It is controlled by
the government and there Is no right
to publish adverse comment or criti-
cism. Undoubtedly the Italian people
have been fed government propaganda,
and even if the better informed groups
do know that the plunging Of the
country into war may ALLEVIATE the
good opinion of mankind. what could
they possibly do about it?
Premier Mussolini controls opinion
and is the absolute monarch of the
nation. He stimulates war enthusi-
asm at will. The decision by one man
instead of by parliamentary body
starts war again. In 1914, world opin-
ion denounced the Kaiser as mill
tary autocrat. Will Mussolini be so
regarded when the League Of Nations
issues its report officially declaring
Italy the aggressor?
The dangers of dictatorship to a
people once free have never been bet
ter illustrated than in Italy today.
Suppression of criticism, suppression
of all political parties except one in
the control of the dictator himself,
punishment for all who may write or
speak in opposition to the head Of the
government-thisi is the kind of gov
eminent that makes it possible for
one man to plunge an innocent people
into war
Moral Influence Lost.
Little is known about the true feel
ings of the Italian people. They are
patriotic and would, when aroused,
naturally support their flag and their
government. But the world knows lit
tie about the inner spirit of the Ital-
ians themselves with respect to the
wiaging Of a war on a virtually de-
fenseless people. The League of Ma
tions has dealt with MusSolini because
he is the head Of the government,
but long ago, when he established a
censorship on the press and free
speech, the League lost its opportu-
nifty for moral force to be made artic-
ulate or effective.
1t is possible, of course. that the
Ethiopian expedition may turn out to
be Mussolini's undoing. The econom-
ic boycott that is coming will impair
Italy's credit position throughout the
world. The total financial cost of
what is bound to result from the ten
sion already existing between Italy and
Britain Is not conducive to Italy's
economic recovery. She may lose more
in Europe than she will gain in Ethio-
pia. The unfortunate aspect Is that
the Italian people will suffer from the
auotcracy of their dictator. who has
robbed them of every privilege of de-
mocracy.
Governmentally nothing will be done
to offend Mussolini or his government.
But world opinion knows no restric-
tions in free countries and the mas
sacre Of the Ethiopians will long be
remembered as the act Of aggression
of dictatorship which again threat
ems the peace of the whole world.