The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-07
World Front
By HARRY CANNES -
Horse Deal Over Ethiopia
Pay Off to MussOlini
Defenders of Kweiyang
Rv HARRY CANNES

! ONE of the most vicious
" pieces of imperialist horse
trading is now going on at the
expense of the Negro people
in Abyssinia. This deal is hav-
ing its repercussions through
out the world.
Foreign Minister Laval of France
is in Rome, arranging the details,
while Mussolini's army is in Abys-
sinia (also known as Ethiopia), and
his military supply ships are rush.
ing war equipment through the Red
Sea with British and French acuuies-
cence. Lavals purpose in visiting
Mussoiini is to draw Italy, formerly
the most bitter antagonist of French
policy in the Balkans, closer to
French interests To do so he has
to offer consideration. The con-
sideration is to be the bleeding body
Of Ethiopia
In return for Mussolini's approval
of blocking German Fascism from
! penetrating into Austria, and in fur
ther consideration of Italy's relin-
/ gushing its ambitions in Jugoslavia,
Frances ally, Laval is to confirm his
promise to Italy that she can take
a good slice of Ethiopia. 1t will re-
quire a fairly large slice, too. for
MusSolini to give up his appetite in
| Europe and the Mediterranean area.
and it seems as if this has been
granted to him through agreement
of Britain and France.
ETHIOPIA is the last remaining in
IL dependent country N Africa. one
Of untold undeveloped wealth. It is
now the intention of Italy, France
and Britain to carve Ethiopia to
bits, leaving to MussoIini's gunner
the job of making the first raid.
Mussolini has already begun his
invasion of Ethiopia, but it seems
now as if plumber in that country
will begin in earnest after certain
recent conversations between Mus
solini and the British and French
representatives.
Not gun can be run through
the Red Sea to Italian Somaliland,
which borders Ethiopia to the north,
without the British gunboats know
ing about it. With their naval base
at Alden, Arabia, directly across
from Diibouti French port of entry
into Ethiopia, the British know
every move made by the other pow
ers in Ethiopia.
With Mussolini's grabbing of ter
ritory in the North, the British rob-
bers can safe their desires in the
upper Nile reaches around Lake
Tsana, Ethiopia, the French can
also pick up some crumbs around
French Somaliland.
Il 'HUMANITE," central organ of
the Communist Party of France,
dealing with the situation in Ethi-
opia some weeks before Laval went
to Rome, declared.
To-day it is probable that a free
hand has been given to Italy by
France in Abyssinia.
"Mussolini has always declared
that the peace treaty of 1919 all
ways dealt meagerly with the vic
torious' Italy, France and England.
he says, grabbed the former Ger
man colonies.
1T seems that they are going to
grant him some part of French
Somaliland that small colony on
the Red Sea, of which the capital
is Djibouti. This grant will permit
Italy to adjust its difficulties of
communication with Abyssinia, and
that is to say in plain language, to
assist Italy in its systematic rob-
berry and pillage of Abyssinia.'
| EHUSSOLINIS desperate straits
w and his absolute need for plum
der, at whatever COST is iue to the
undenisble economic and financial
crisis of Italian Fascism. The fl
nancial crisis in Italy is worse than
in any other capitalist country in
| the world.
DURING the past fiscal year, the
~ Italian government had a deficit
of 1000 100000 lire. Wages and SAL
aries were cut, but army, navy and
air expenditures were increased.
How this deficit will be met"
wrote the Herald Tribune Rome
correspondent at the time the finan-
cial report was made, remains a
mystery" Mussolinis army is now
attempting to solve that mystery
by an imperialist gangster raid on
the wealth Of Ethiopia, at the cost
of slaughtering tens of thousands Of
Negro people.
THE Kuomintang butchers in the
province of Kweichow are Just as
much afraid of their own troops
as they are of the Red Army which,
is advancing on the capital of
Kweiyang. With only 20 more miles
to go, the Red Army is certain to
take the city, as the local garrison
has openly declared it will not fight
against the Red Army, unless it gets
its back pay. Even if these enthu-
siastic defender me-cenaries do get
their money, they are not apt to
risk their skin too dangerously
against an army of workers and
peasants they don't seem to have
much interest in fighting.