Evening star., 1935-11-29
World Conflict
on Sanctions
Ru1nOred.
''DEATH SQUAD"
is FORMED
Naval Battle in
Mediterranean
Planned.
BACKGROUND

Gigantic game OF bluG and cour-
age finds Mussolini pitted against
League OF Nations. Stalking pres
ttge on result, former set out to
amer Ethiopia; encountered con-
demnation of League. dominated
by Great Britain Nations inDoke
trade bans against aggressor Italy,
threatened to ertend boycott to oil,
most necessary commodity in tudr
plans of II Duce. Latter promised
reprisnlS. Intentions OF France.
neuer in past boldly expressed,
hare promised element OF uncer-
tdinty, may be deciding factor, as
Britain, Italy stand firm.
Copyright. 1885. by the Associated Press)
ROME, November ga new Euro
pean crisis arose today over the League
OF Nations project for an Oil embargo
against Italy, with responsible sources
asserting Premier MusSolini has evolved
a counter-program-i swift
thrust at the British fleet.
Responsible persons, not officials but
holding high connections, said fresh
confiict-perhaps another World War
would result if the League applied
the oil embargo in addition to its pres
ent sanctions to cut short the Italian
warfare in Ethiopia.
II DuceS program in reply to an oil
ban was said by these persons to in
clude withdrawal of diplomatic repre-
sentatives from enemy countries,
resignation from the League and an
attack on Britain's Mediterranean
feet by Italy's aerial death squad"
These sources said the three-point
program was adopted by Mussolini and
the Fascist Grand Council at their
November 10 midnight session. II Duce
called a cabinet meeting for tornor-
row at 10 am.
Italy to Break Barriers.
Any war arising from extension Of
the League of Nations penalties against
italy, responsible sources said, would
be a precipitate conflict, with Italy
striving desperately to break through
the barriers of the besieging League
states.
The Italian Nays aerial death
squad" was reported to be a force OF
125 pilots, each carrying single great
bomb in his plane and pledged to dive
upon an enemy" warship, going to
certain death.
II Duce's decision to employ such
tactics, in the event the projected oil
embargo was enforced, was said by
the unofficial sources to have been
communicated to British Ambassador
Sir Eric Drummond here last Sat
urday by Mussolini himself.
They said it also was made known
10 Premier Pierre Laval of France and
Foreign Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare
of Britain early this week through
Italy's Ambassadors to Paris and Lon
don.
(The Rome reports that Mussolini
advised British officials of a determina-
ton to resist oil sanctions against his
mechanical East African warfare with
further war moves evoked quick de-
nial from the London foreign office.
British officials insisted Drummonds
call on Mussolini November % con-
cerned another matter and that sane
tions we're not mentioned. They said
Dino Grandi, Italian Ambassador to
London, gave no such intimation to
Sir Samuel Hoare French officials re-
ported at Paris that Italian Ambassa-
dor Vittorio Cerruti repeated to Pre-
mier Laval yesterday Ii Duce's pre-
vious warning that an oil embargo
might mean war;
Conflict Seen Delayed.
An Italian government spokesman,
interpreting the phrase "Oil means
war" said a new conflict might not
emerge Immediately, but that an oil
embargo would be another step which
might eventually lead to European
hoStilities."
Informed italian sources said it was
this program which brought about in
definite postponement of the meeting
of the League Sanctions Committee of
l8, originally set for today. to con-
slider application of an oil embargo.
This meeting was called off at the
request of Premier Laval, but League
officials at Geneva said France was
not opposed to oil sanctions, and that
they expected date for application of
this measure to be set early in De-
cember)
Extending his campaign against the
arms, financial and economic sanctions
and the embargo on selected key prod
ucts already applied, Mussolini called
committees of mothers and widows of
~ 70 v%aaafir0 ivH "a
capital December /.
Fascist organizations arranged nu-
merous honors for the women helping
to enforce domestic restrictions to
combat the sanctions, anticipating
that their presence in Rome would
emphasize the devotion the govern
ment expected Of all Italians.
Powerful Groups Join.
Two meetings yesterday drew pow
erful trade and professional groups |
into II Duce,s emergency organization |
OF the state.
Chemist corporation leaders out
lined to Mussolini the situation in |
their industry and representatives Of |
Fascist organizations Of professions
and artists assured him of their readi-
ness to combat sanctions In their
lines.
Having cut the traditional two-hour
lunch period to a half hour, Fascist
leaders turned on the dinner period,
announcing pm. would be the pa
triotic" hour for dinner. instead Of
pm" :