The Washington times., 1935-04-11
DRASTIC STEPS
ARE STUDIED
IN CONGRESS
Legislation Contemplated Is
Unprecedented Departure
From Traditional Policy
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Prime Minister Macdonald. Brit
ish Foreign Secretary Sir John
Simon, Laval and Premier Elan
din of France. under the chair.
manship of Mussolini and flanked'
by their lieutenants, seated them
selves at a great table in ancient
Borromeo Castle on properly
named beautiful isle, "Isola Bella"
Impatience was the note as the
delegates were forced to sit and
listen to what they knew before,
namely, Simon's and Eden's re-
ports of what they had heard
from Hitler, Stain, Pilsudski and
BeneS.
When the delegates eyes wan
dered, they beheld outside the
conference room motto in
scribed in pebbles OF the garden
walk. It read Humility"
According to q trustworthy
source, Lavars plan is this: He
has now agreed with Litvinov on
a Franco-Soviet pact of mutual
assistance. This pact, based on
paragraph Of the League o. Ma
tons covenant, is equivalent to
an Eastern Locarno and 1t prob
ably will be jointed by the Little
Entente and possibly Italy.
: Britain is expected to give it
her blessing. After Stresa, Laval
will go to Moscow to sign the
pact and after Moscow, unless
he changes his plan or Hitler re-
fuses to see him, Laval intends
TO return via Berlin and there
face Hitler with the following
proposals:
You say you fear the men,
ace of Soviet aggression. Come
back into the League, join. our
pact Of mutual assistance, and
yOv will have Frances support
If the Soviet attacks you"
POSITION STRONGER
Thus Hitler will be given a
chance to put into writing his
often repeated assertion that he
wants nothing but peace.
France having secured the as
sistance of the Soviet Union,
will be able to approach Germany
more confidently and the hope is
Hitler will be so influenced by
Lavai's recognition of Germany's
newlyfound independence that he
will consent to enter general
scheme of peace. -
Mussolini's parallel announce
ment tina. he considers Germany's
presence indispensable was yelled
at the outset in the form of a
leading article in his personal
organ. Popolo D'Italia.
Pitingly ironical. he first re-
eeived his guests with the COM
I11ent:
"C0nsultatiOn is the last
refuge of men without will
power when faced with reality
Germany, Muussolini means, is
the reality.
After lunch the delegates
motorhoated across the lake to
the tomb of General Cadorna,
Italian chief of staff during the
war.
Duce Leads Way
Mussolini's speed Iounch led
the procession. cutting a wide
swath while whistles blew and
II Duce, standing in the PROV
raised his hand in imperial
salute.
Lunch was a picturesque affair
in the Room of the Medals"
adorned with medallions carved
id wood and depicting scenes
from the life of St. Charles Bor>
rAlneo. ancestor of the present
caunt, owner of the castle.
Twenty-Five men and one woman
sat at the table. The woman was
Donna Ida Borromeo, daughter
.in-laW of the old count. ~
SMussolinis personal bodyguard
surrounded the castle. On II
Duce's right sat Laval because he
is o former premier. On his left
sat Sir John Simon. .
Donna Ida, sitting opposite
MuSsolini, had on her right Pre-
naier Macdonald and on her left
Premier Flandin. "a. q,
After the motorboat ride the
delegates returned to the island
and resumed their session. The
first part of the program was dis
cussion of the French appeal to
the League of Nations against
Germany's one-sided denunciation
of the Versailles Treaty sent to
Geneva on March 81.