The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-12
World Front
Bv HARRY CANNES

Mussolini Protests
The Gangster's Lament
Hitler and the East"
MUSSOLINI has not filed the
III Franco-Italian pact in the
Fascist historical archieves.
Hardly was the ink dry on
this piece of imperialist thiev-
cry when Italian troops be-
gan invading Abyssinian ter
ritory We now learn, because
Mussolini has modified $4,000 adj
ditional troops, that for the past
10 days, fascist armies have been
marching further into the last In
dependent country in Africa.
The original agreement between
France and Italy provided that in
return for Mussolinis relaxation of
his war moves against Jugoslavia,
France would grant Italian fascism
a freer hand in Africa, particularly
Abyssinia.
Mussolini's protests to the Abyss
sinian government because some of
his soldiers were killed near Ualusl
pronounced WalwaD is like an
American gangster protesting that
his intended victim shot at him
while he was caught rtfling a safe.
According to Italian and League Of
Nations maps the fascist troops are
already loo miles within Abyssinian
territory.
put as we mentioned in this col
= umn on numerous occasions, tie
particular incident is Of no mo<
ment whatever. They will be re-
peated with greater rapidity in the
coming months. The main factor is
Mussolini's avowed intention, and
the French agreement, to seize as
much Of Abyssinia as he can. I'm
less the toiling and colonial masses
of the world can be aroused against
the fascist war plans in Africa.
Mussolini will continue his war in
Abyssiria until he has achieved
what the Japanese have accom-
plished in Manchuria.
The capitalist press reports train
loads of troops leaving for Italian
ports. This news leaks out only
when the movement is well under
way, and when whole fleets Of
planes, tanks, soldiers have already
reached Abyssinia. A major crini~
nal war is under way NOW in Abyss
sir1ia
NUICKENING of the war fever is
Y not restricted to Abyssinia
alone. The Franco Italian pact was
but one of whole series of similar
moves, on the basis of tmperial1St
juggling, in order to spur the major
war of all of the imperialist powers
against the Soviet Union
The Franco Italian pact was fol-
lowed up by the London proposals
to Hitler, Hitler is now considering
them, and recognizing the main
kernel in the British aims, asks
for an air agreement which will
grant the German fascists sufficient
arms for an attack on the Soviet
Union.
From South Africa comes the
bid of the "pacifist" statesman Jan
Christian SHUTS that the U. S. and
Great Britain Cooperate" for the
peace of the Pacific. The American
State Department grasps at the
idea avidly.
Having indicated to its chief rival
in the Pacific, Japan, that a war
against the Soviet Union is emf
nently desirable, it welcomes the
opportunity of working out some
similar arrangements with its chief
world rival Britain. The cementing
force would be anti-Soviet hostility.
The latest dispatch from Berlin
to the New York Times by its cor
respondent Guido Enderis. shows
that the whole question before the
fascist government of Germany is
how best and most rapidly to trans
form the London pact into an i'm
mediate war alliance against the
Soviet Union
Official consideration" cables
Enderis, seems to have veered
from the proposed five-power air
convention to the general sub
ject Of security, in which connec-
ton the Russian angle appears to
have largely pre-occupied Ger
man official thoughts.
ut is largely out of such con-
siderations that the Reich gov-
eminent in the coming negoti-
ations will stress its demands for
security in the East, especially to
the extent of being allowed an
air force of sufficient size and
mobility to insure the defense of
the Eastern frontiers"
Security in the East" according
to Hitler's book. "Mein Kampf,"
means the securing of the Soviet
Ukraine and whatever other Soviet
territory Hitler feels his armies can
grab.
Meanwhile, japanese imperialism
is working hard to force the issue
by its actual war provocations in
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