The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-12
EUROPE FEARS
AUSTRIA MAY
BRING ON WAR
Refusal to Aid Sanctions
Can Cause Failure of
Peace Efforts.
BY WILLIAM PHILLIPS SIMS
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor

ScrippsHoward Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12.-Tre-
mendous secret pressure is being
brought to bear on Austria to make
her close her frontiers to Italy.
If she stands pat on her refusal to
aid the Leagues economic and finan-
cial sanctions against her neighbor,
Britain almost inevitably must close
Suez and Gibraltar to Italian ships
or accept defeat.
And that, Premier MuSSolini and
other Italian spokesman grimly re-
iterated last night, means war-Italy
and Britain.
Italy admittedly would be doomed,
sooner or later, if completely encir-
cled by League powers sincerely de-
termined to crush her unless she gets
out of Ethiopia.
Needs Many Imports
Of all the great powers, she is
probably the least able to live to
herself. She has a magnificent
automotive, iron and steel industry,
but coal, iron, rubber, gas, oil and
other raw materials must be i'm
ported.
Her textile industry is flourishing
But nearly all her cotton must
come from foreign lands. Copper
and other vital war metals are
lacking, as are many important
chemicals, raw silk and even food
Stuffs.
Were she entirely cut off from
any and all of these, experts de-
clare, it would merely be question
Of time before she was forced to
her knees. She soon could be driven
to bankruptcy and would have to
sue for peace.
Austria is vital to the League
economic enlightenment plan. Ger
many is unlikely to exert herself
to aid Geneva. She has been hit
hard by an international quasi
boycott of a racial and religious
nature and needs every mark S
worth of foreign trade she can get
AS long as Italy can pay, Germany
will sell.
Seems Likely to Be Buying Agent
Germany, then, seems likely to
become Italy's purchasing agent,
and Austria, apparently, will per-
NIT the shipment of any and all
goods across the few miles of in
tervening territory.
Statements from Geneva to the
contrary Notwithstanding, Britain
and the League are far from indif-
ferent. Austria s stand may be cru
cial. 1t may make or break the
Leagues efforts for peace. Unless
she can be persuaded, cajoled or
threatened into joining the so other
sanction powers, force seems the
only remaining effective alterna-
tive.
Reports are current in Paris,
where the Suez Canal board sits,
that Britain is steadily preparing
to bottle up Italy in the Mediter-
ranean, blocking the Red Sea and
the Strait of Gibraltar That, Ital-
ian spokesman insist, means war
Public opinion in Italy would not
permit the abject desertion by their
government of Italian fighting men
in Ethiopia.
France Particularly Anxious
Unless the situation takes a quick
turn for the better, European cap
itals fear the big guns will begin to
speak within 50 or 80 days.
France particularly is anxious
over the dangerous turn. Monday
this writer reported desperate eff
forts on her part to find a solution
before war breaks out in Europe. On
the same day Premier Laval was
quoted as saying he had made his
last peace effort" Saturday, only
to fail
Now it is confirmed officially that
his efforts are continuing. He told
the Geneva Assembly last night
that. while France will support
League sanctions, his search for a
peaceful settlement will 60 on
determinedly. His overtures of Sat-
urday therefore, were by no means
the last he will undertake, but
simply the last he had made up
until Monday.
So increasingly dark is the out
look, in fact, France is not alone
among the League powers deter
mined to renew their efforts to head
off a new European war, now OBJ
viously closer than at any time