The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-17
TENSE POWERS
AWAIT ORDERS
OF MUSSOL|N|
Britain and France Demand
0uce'S Minimum Claims
on Ethiopia.
PEACE HOPES OIMMING
Leaders Are PeSSimiStiC as
Italy Delays Reply to
Farley Request.

Copyright. 1885 0v United Press
PARIS. Aug. 17-French, British
and Italian delegates expected to-
day a statement of minimum claims
on Ethiopia by Benito MussOlinl
which Will give a positive basis for
negotiations and may fOretell
whether war between Italy and
Ethiopia is inevitable.
Pending receipts of Mus5Ollri's
statement the three-pOwer confer
ence was at a standstill and dele
gates were nervous. It was decided
to name no time for a meeting I'M
til Mussollni was heard from.
Baron Pompeo Aloisi, chief Italian
delegate, talked at length to Mus
Solini last night on the telephone.
He outlined the situation as it ap-
peared after the opening statement
OF British limits Of concession and
his own statement of Italys de-
mancs.
Specific Claims Demanded
In the name Of Premier Pierre
Laval and OF Anthony Eden, chief
British delegate. Baron Aloisi asked
Musso,ini for a specific statemen.
OF his claims.
It was apparent from the delay
that Mussolini. as we'll as the
delegates here. expected the reply to
be an important one and possibly
one which would indicate with some
clarity whether the peace-preserva-
ton conference could succeed.
Baron Aloisi telephoned Mussolini
again today. reporting the French
and British negotiators were press
ing him for a reply.
MussOlini's delay Caus, = the little
hope there has been for peace to
diminish perceptibly. The at
mosphere was pesSimistic, and there
we're suggestions that Mussolini was
playing for time while his prepara-
tons for attack went on.
Attack to Open in October
French military experts expressed
agreement with British ones, quoted
by the United Press from London
yesterday, that any Italian attack in
force probably would be made about
the first week in October.
This estimate was made in the
belief that the ground in the pros
pective Ethiopian war zone will
take two or three weeks to dry
sufficiently for big scale military
movement after subsistence of the
rains which have persisted since
June.
Any doubt that behind the Brit
ish-Italian disagreement over
Ethiopia there lies the world i'm
portant question Of control Of the
Mediterranean Sea and the Red
Sea route to India has been dis
PEELED.
The conviction is plain here that
NusSolini has ambitions to increase
his power on sea routes and that
Britain Is worried about it.
Britain to Guard Lake
AS far as he can go without risk
ing alienation. Mr.. Laval is back
ing Capt. Eden in a plea to Musso-
lini for peace.
It was learned from the high
est sources that Great Britain Is
trying to convince Italy that its sea
route to India by way of the Suez
Canal Is not Of such Importance
to Italy as has been made out. The
argument is made that control of
Ethiopia would not materially alter
the situation because Italy already
has territory on the Red Sea and
the Indian Ocean in Eritrea and
Italian Somaliland.
AS To Lake TSana. in the interior
Of FThiopia-the vital heart OF
Rritain's gigantic Nile irrigation
proiect-it is indicated that Britain
has said plainly that this is pro-
tected BY agreements with France
and italy. and that if Italy tried to
seize Lake Tsana from Ethiopia 1t
would be in direct conflict with
Great Britain-a contingency. Brit
ain added automatically, that II
did not foresee.
Laval. Eden May Go to Rome
So grave is the concern of the
powers becoming that it is reported
by Genevieve Tabouis, Hoe of the
best informed political writer's in
Europe-that Mr. Laval and Capt
Eden may go to Rome personally
to plead with MusSolini.
Their plan would enviSage con-
cessionS already mentioned. such
as ceSSion of territory to Italy. a
neutral zone between Italian hold
ings and Ethiopia proper. and a
grant to Italy of the privilege OF
linking Its East African colonies
by a railway through what is now
Ethiopian territory.
There were persistent reports
still. last night. that Italy insisted
that It must have full military con-
troll Of Ethiopia. British circles
denying the reports. said with en-
phasis that If Italy made any such
demand the conference would END
rsrsrl-fW