The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-04
FrancO-Italian Alliance

ancO-Italian Alliance
 On thing about this plan is extremely significant - the fact that it is put forward by France. In other words, France is hand in glove with Italy in her pres ent plans of conquest.
 Another significant fact Is that this plan will not be dis- cussed publicly at the special league session.
 There will be many nigh sounding phrases, many ap- peals for peace, many peace formulas. But the sum total of all these public maneuver. ings will be ph-h-h-h-t!
 The league will get nowhere. There was day when it could. Even as recently as 1891, when Henry l.. Stimson threw more American cooperation behind the league than ever has been known before, 1t might have sue ceeded in blr"': ':ing the Japanese conquest of E.,:nchuria.
 But France and Britain were not interested in Manchuria. It was too far away. So they stabbed Stimson in the back. The league fopped.
 Now when Europe is vitally interested, the league cannot come back. It is too late. Public confidence has evaporated. Uncle Sam On Sidelines
 And this time the United States Is watching from the side- lines.
 The reason Laval is putting forward plan which means the eventual conquest of Ethio. pia is that for the first time in years, France has deserted the British.
 She has gone over to the side of Italy in exchange for favors received. It has been a shrewd piece of bargaining.
 Here is what Italy gave to France:
 1. Maintenance of an in- dependent Austria - keeping the Nazis out of the chief buffer state which prevents Hitler from reaching into southern Europe.
 ?. Italian military cooper ation with France in case of attack from Germany.
 Here in turn, is what France gave to Italy:
 1. A free hand in Ethiopia, plus about 400 square miles of French territory which con- trols the mouth of the Red Sea.
 2. Support of the Italian lira by the Bank of France. thus preventing Italian cur rency from depreciating too violently.
 All this leaves Britain out in the cold. That is why she has been so anxious for at least moral support from the United States.
 Hull HumOr?
 So far, the state department has been extremely critical of Italy. privately, but publicly has kept aloof. In one conversa- ton Secretary Cordell Hull made 1t quite clear to Italian Ambassador Rosso where Amer ican sympathies were. But being timorous soul he has been afraid to make this attitude public.
 So the other day, after talk ing with Ambassador Rosso, he said:
 "Whcn you leave my office you probably will bc crOss- questioned by the press.
 And I think you had best tell them that we were talk. ing about the new commercial treaty. To make this idea cer- tain, you had best go to see Mir. Grady" Gin charge of commercial trcaties). And don't go to sec Mr. Dunn" Gin charge of Ethiopian-Italian studics).
 Ambassador Rosso obeyed.
 Another important fact cabled confidentially to Washington is that the Italian general staff has vigorously opposed Musso- lini.
 So strenuous was this opposi- tion that General Badoglio. chief of the supreme war coun- cil, war side-tracked in favor of much older and amenable officer-the former Minister of War General al Bono, one of those who marched with Mus solini on Rome.
 Li Bono's knowledge of mili- tary strategy is doubtful, but his loyalty is unquestioned. He is in command of the greatest inter- national tragedy since the World war. What it's final outcome will be, no one, either in Geneva or Washington, can predict.
 MERRY-GO.ROUND
 Brain Truster Tom Corcoran.
 A