The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-30
Washington
Merry-Go-
Round
OCT. 80, 1885
BY DREW PEARSON and
ROBERT :. ALLEN.

hODL n >. sALLLNs
VXTASHINGTON. Oct. 3O.-Ths
w picture of the international
situation placed before the Presi-
dent Immediately after his re-
turn to the White House was not
as clear as it might have been.
But out OF the maze OF reports
cabled to the State Department or
received verbally from diplomats
returned from Europe, the follow
ing points stood out:
l. Italy is virtually 100 per cent
behind MusSolini. The original
inertia of the working classes. the
positive antipathy of the intellec-
tuals, and the lukewarm enthusi-
aSm Of the general staff have been
replaced by strong support. Some
opposition may Turk beneath the
surface, but it is negligible. And
1t VIII take either a major defeat
or a protracted war to turn puo-
lie sentiment against II Duce.
2. British public opinion has
reached a pitch akin to religious
fervor in its demand that the
League prevent war.
AS one high British diplomat
put it, the people of England have
substituted love of peace for love
OF the church. Peace has become
a religion. They are willing to 90
any lengths-even war-to back
it up.
This feeling probably represents
10 to so per cent Of the country.
The rest, chiefly Tories. are
equally behind the League, though
Tor an entirely different reason.
They fear an Italian empire near
the Red Sea lifeline of the Brit
ish empire.
3. France will NOT support the
British if it comes to a show
down against Italy.
According to the report given
Roosevelt, France is as anxious to
keep out of war as the United
States. Every morning posters
Smeared over the walls of Paris
proclaim: No troops shall be
moved to support the League"
For Premier Laval to take a
strong stand against Italy would
mean his immediate downfall.
NILS dilemma was what gall
- vanized Laval into action.
Last week he did some ex-
tremely plain talking to both the
Italian and British ambassadors
Both sides had Unanswered them (
selves into positions where they
could not back down without loss
of prestige.
But if they kept making more
moves it meant certain war.
Both sides finally saw this.
agreed to make conciliatory ges-
lures, such as the withdrawal of
Italian troops from the Egyptian
border, and Sir Samuel Hoare's
speech in the House of Commons.
TN addition, Laval proposes to
- carve up Ethiopia.
Italy would annex the north.
take a protectorate over the GEN.
trail plateau, While Great Britain
would acquire Lake Tana with it's
possibilities for irrigating the cot
ton fields of the British Sudan.
The British have been hesitate
ing. 1t is a question of Sacri-
ficing Ethiopia plus the ideals of
Geneva, or else war. So it looks
as if the death of Ethiopia and
Geneva idealism would be cheaper.
MURPHY ROSEN, personal
1'A valet ard bodyguard of
Huey Long, has been telling COL
leagues of the late Senator the
intimate details of the fatal
shooting.
Last year, it will be recalled,
Senator Long offered to play a
debating machine record or the
floor Of the Senate, exposing a
plot against his life. The record
had been obtained from a ma
chine placed in the room of some
conspiratorS in the Hotel Roose-
welt in New Orleans.
In the original record the name
"Dr. Weiss" occurred three times.
1t carried no significance for the
Kingflsh, however, and the name
was eXpunged and forgotten.
Therefore when DR.. Weiss ap-
preached Long on the fatal night,
none Of the bodyguards knew him.
Rosen says that he seized the
assassin's gun just as it was fired,
and that Joe Messina, who fired
the first shot at Weiss, broke
Rosen's wrist watch with the
passing bullet.
Copyright. :535 by United Feature
Syndicate. 1nc)
: By George Clark
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