Evening star., 1935-11-17
BY FRANK III. SIMONDS.

British general election will
~ have been digested and, unless
there is another postponement,, we
shall be on the eve of the application
of economic sanctions. BY that time,
too, the British government will
doubtless have made up its mind
whether it wants to smash Fascist
Italy and get rid of Mussolini, or
come to terms with him. So far
it has never been clear what the real
objective of the Tory government was.
AL along it has proceeded as if it
meant to destroy Mussolini, protest.
ing. at the same time, that it was
concerned solely with upholding the
League of Nations.
The Ethiopian affair. however, re-
mains what it has always been-a
wholly minor affair. Neither Geneva
nor Adds Ababa has any importance
in the Anglo-I Italian quarrel and that
quarrel is the only real thing in the
contemporary crisis.
Have the British made up their
minds to deal with Mussolini as they
did with Napoleon? Do they want
to destroy the Fascist state as they
destroyed the First Empire? When
that double question is answered,
then the outlook for peace in Europe
during the next few months, at least,
can be cleared up. If the British
want to drive Mussolini to his Water
loo it is plain that they will have
to go beyond economic sanctions or
wait considerable length of time
for these to become effective.
Situation Complicated.
But whatever the British had in
mind when they set out in August
to administer to II Duce what Garvin
in the London Observer has described
as "a diplomatic Adowa," the situa-
ton has become gravely complicated
since Eden'S visit to Rome. For it
is now clear that whatever the out
come of the present crisis, Fascist
Italy and it's dictator are going to
be implacable enemies of Great Brit
ain and the whole Italian people are
going to feel toward Great Britain as
the French did toward Germany after
1871.
The recent rioting in Rome is only
Q small detail, but it is significant.
Mussolinis strategy in starting meat
less days is even more noteworthy.
It points the lesson he has been try
ing to ram home in the italian mind
for more than a decade, the lesson
that Italy cannot be great power
while it is at the mercy of British
financial, economic and naval coercion.
AS the Italian people 60 hungry for
want of meat, cold because of the
lack of coal and ill-clad because of
the shortage of cotton. they are going
to hold England responsible and hate
as they suffer.
Thus for number of years. at least,
lie British have got to reckon with
the constant hostility of Fascist Italy.
If Great Britain becomes involved in
q war with Germany Mussolini will
seize his chance to move into Egypt
from Libya and from Eritrea into the
Sudan. And the whole Italian people
Is going to see Great Britain as
country which has tried to reduce
Italy to the rank of a second-class
power by starving women and chill
dren through hunger blockade"
II 0uce has already made this point
crystal clear to ALL
More Pressure Here Likely.
Under such circumstances the Tory
government, whatever its original in
tentions, may now decide that it has
to finish what it started and get rid
of Mussolini. If it does it is certain
to redouble the pressure on Latin
American states to employ economic
and England has a strangle-
hold upon some of them, notably the
It will redouble its efforts
In Washington, as well, to persuade
the Roosevelt administration to help
1t throttle Italy. If it is to be war
to the knife" as the Bulgarians say,
then the truth will not long be hidden.
On the other hand, if the Tory
party, having won a general election,
acquired a mandate to reconstruct the
British navy, reasserted British naval
supremacy in the Mediterranean and
wrested control of the League of Ma
tions machinery from the French,
feels that it has profited sufficiently
out of the Ethiopian affair, then it
7 VI agree to some kind of compromise
permitting Mussolini to have his ire
ducible minimum of prestige and profit
and fix up some kind of camoufage
which will allow Geneva to claim a
victory and Halle Selassie to figure as
. survivor. It will also put through
the huge loan on which discussions
have been reported.
But for all Of this stage managing
the time is getting short. The Italian
troops are advancing, slowly but sure
ly, annexing territory as they 20, Mus
solini Is getting more and more ire
trievably committed to his African
adventure even if he should become
willing to compromise as a matter of
craftsmanship. A diplomatic Adowa
now would be as fatal to him as the
military Adowa of 40 years ago was
to Crispi. But giving its consent to
. deal which cost Halle Selassie prov
inces and economic rights would con-
stitute for the League another Man
churian disaster.
Business Not Enthusiastic.
Smashing Italy would, I think, be
popular in Great Britain if it didn't
lead to war, and even a naval war
which abolished Mussolini to some
St. Helena would excite little protest
on the part # the British Laborites.
In the presence of a real recovery
business and finance in Great Britain
Ire, however, manifestly little enthu-
siastic about serious war which could
bring no profit and must involve grave
dislocations. Even economic sane
lions arouse more quiet protest than
public cheering in "the city"
But smashing Mussolini does involve
} serious war. It means Van Italian
Invasion Of Egypt, an incursion In the
Sudan and disturbance all the way
from Gibraltar to Alden at the very
least. Whether the British could