Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-12-26
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
By GEORG STRANDVOLD

1t was a foregone conclusion that
the alo-Ethiopian peace plan, con-
cocted by Sir Samuel Hoare. British
foreign minister and Pierre Laval.
his French colleague, would be fol-
lowed by reverberations. The plan
itself was so obviously designed as
a support of Italian claims that it
could not possibly be accepted by the
League of Nations council, for, &C
cording to this proposition, Italy was
to receive about half of Ethiopia and
to be given practical sovereignty over
the other half.
In other words, Italy was to get
far more than she can ever hope to
wrestle from the Philippians by force
and to be given these vast regions
by the very same powers which a few
weeks back had led the League of
Nations procession of protest and con-
domination against Italian schemes.
If it had not been for it's tragic as
poets. the Hoare-Laval plan would
be considered merely ludicrous.
Hoare Quits.
Laval managed to squeeze a vote
of confidence out of the French cham
Der of deputies. but it was chiefly a
courtesy enabling him to pretend at
Geneva that he had the backing of
his parliament: it is thought he will
face the real test at a debate sched-
uled to take place tomorrow, Friday.
Dat hi c
medicine; when he realized how ire
mendous the opposition to the peace
plan was. he resigned, and the follow
| ing day before the. British house of
commons defended his share in formu-
lating the plan by claiming that il it
had not been drawn up. a new Euro
pean war would be inevitable. This
argument was used by Laval. too,
when he tried to justify his attitude
before the French deputies.
From Sir Samuel's speech it was
inferred that he admitted blunder.
but that it might be justified on the
ground that the proposition was a
final desperate attempt to avert fur
Their qualifications of the Italo-Ethi-
opian war.
Baldwin Speaks.
Came then the turn of Sir Samuel's
boss. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.
He, too, wanted to square himself
with the commons. and he did it by
offering up his foreign minister as
a sacrifice. No. Mr.. Baldwin had
never heard of the odious plan before!
| Sir Samuel had not consulted him
about it. had not spoken to any other
member of His Majesty's government
about the plan. 1t was all new to
Mr. Baldwin! On the strength of
| this disavowal of Sir Samuel the
prime minister got away with a big,
| handsome vote of confidence.
In the interval between Hoare's
| resignation and the speeches in the
commons. the peace plan itself was
| considered by the League council at
Geneva Ethiopia had turned it down:
it outright. but did imply that it did
not go far enough to satisfy legitim-
ate Italian claims" Under these cir
cumstances. the League council had
no choice: it tacitly dropped the
: whole plan. and this means that at the
present moment no organized effort
is being made toward ending the war
One might say that the League coun-
Gil indirectly is prolonging that con-
| flict, for il was decided to do moth
ing about the problem concerning an
embargo on oil. coal and metals to
Italy for several weeks to come. II
is the consensus of we'll informed
opinion that these sanctions may
| never be applied
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