Evening star., 1935-10-30
Tightening the Belt.

Faced by the Specter OF ecoiloiiiie oAo
financial strangulation as consequence
of League sanctions. Italy is preparing
betimes to tighten its belt, in token OF
those heroic sacrifices which Mussolnl
declares his people are ready to make
In order that his Ethiopian war may be
vared in defiance of Geneva's boycott.
The first defensive measures were de-
creed at Rome on Tuesday. They an
ticipate tomorrows meeting OF the
League Sanctions Committee, which Will
decide on exactly what date punitive
measures shall come into force.
November IS is now mentioned as tne
zero hour. Postponement of actual sane
tions for another fortnight lends strength
to the belief that Anglo-French-ltallan
diplomacy has granted itself yet another
breathing spell in which the possibilities
of a peaceful settlement can once more
be intensively explored. All concerned
acknowledge the desirability OF such
result before recourse is had to the
drastic measure of starving the Italians
into submission. London and Paris
seethe again with circumstantial reports
of peace moves. AS before. they enviSion
wide cessions of Ethiopian territory to
italy, with retention of Halle Selassies
sovereignty over his entire country.
The League and Adds Ababa will have
a good deal to say about any such arbl-
trament before it reaches the stage OF
acceptability.
II Duce, manifestly convinced that
sanctions are more closely around the
corner than peace, has put his people on
war rations. Their duration is provi-
sionally fixed at six months. There will
be two meatless days week. Shops,
hotels and restaurants are subjected to
rigid restrictions on sale Of food. All
offices are to close a couple OF hours
earlier, to conserve electricity and fuel.
Even use of paper is to be curtailed. Mild
as these initial measures are, they serve
to remind Mussolini's countrymen that
the worlds indictment of Italian aggres-
sion Is at last about to be translated
from threat into a reality. They now
know that trial of strength with the
League will entail genuine deprivations.
That these are certain to become more
oppressive as time goes on not even the
most fervent Fascist can doubt.
While enduring hardships, Italy means
to fight back to the extent of her powers.
She will limit her purchases abroad to
products of primary necessity for both
home needs and military requirements in
Africa. She will trade with other coun-
tries only to the extent to which they
trade with her. Italy warns that her
memory is long and that the nations
about to punish her can expect no busi-
ness favors from her in the hereafter
Neighbors like the Austrians, the Swiss
and perhaps the Germans may continue
to supply Italy for some time. Her own
resources, especially food, are still far
from the exhaustion point. But the
Leagues program of relentless isolation
Is likely sooner or later to bring the
Fascists to terms, bombastic proclama-
tions Of self -suficiency to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
The world is on the threshold of a
tremendous experiment in collective ac-
tion-an effort which will determine, pos
sibly for all time, whether the severing
OF country's economic jugular vein is
capable of causing it to abandon a war
OF conquest upon which it has embarked
In cynical disregard of mankind's demand
for peace and of covenanted interna-
tional law.