The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-15
BY RALPH HEINZEN

| AVOOt ny OAAAS~e~ = ~S~S Paris, October IS = (UP) - Pre- mier Pierre Laval has asked Great Britain to withdraw it's home fleet ships from the Mediterranean as a gesture to enable him to seek a peaceable settlement of the Italian Ethiopian crisis, an official source said today.
 The disclosure was a sequel to 9 series of conferences by which Laval was understood to have embarked upon a new attempt to bring the Italian war on Ethiopia to a peace fu1 end.
 No gesture to Italy could be 50 attractive, perhaps, as withdrawal of the great fighting ships sent from home waters in the British Isles to guard the entrances to the Mediterranean from Gibraltar and the Suez Canal.
 Why He Made Request
 It was understood that Laval made his fleet request through Sir George Clerk, British ambassador, after long talk with Vittorio Ger ruti, Italian ambassador, last night.
 It was said that Cerruti agreed that more conciliatory atmosphere would be induced if the British fleet concentration were reduced.
 Clerk already has transmitted to London Laval's suggestion, it was said, and a British reply is expected soon. .
 This reply, French belief is, will say that withdrawal of the home fleet would be possible only If Pre- mier Benito Mussolini at the same time decided to stop his East Afri- can war.
 Laval is said to believe that, if he is able to obtain the British fleet withdrawal coincident with a halt by Mussolini in his war plans, it will ensure the success of his at- tempt at Consolidation.
 | Peace Through Pope
 It is suggested that France favors conciliation through the Pope who would arrange for a meeting of the heads of the overnments of Italy, France and Great Britain.
 Italy is believed to have ex- pressed willinness to call a halt on certain conditions including with drawal of the British fleet. It is said Laval himself is optimistic. But diplomatic circles believe that the British government would be put in a difficult position if it called the fleet back home and the Italian advance continued. Such a situa- tion, it is pointed out, would be damaging politically in view of the prospect of an early parliamentary election, the first since October, 1881.
 Even if Britain and Italy got to- gether, Emperior Halle Selassie of Ethiopia might prove an obstacle as he has said he would not cease to oppose the Italians until they with draw from Ethiopian soil. Britain always has said that it would not agree to conditions that were not freely acceptable to Ethiopia.
 Unconfirmed Report
 There was an unconfirmed re- port in Geneva that a specific plan had been advanced for ending the Itlaian war. Some sources said Laval advanced the plan to Cerrr- Ii; others that Cerruti advanced it to Laval. The plan was said to be:
 Italy to halt its troops in their present positions.
 -Tigre province in Ethiopia to be made an autonomous state un- der an Italian protectorate. Tigre is the northern province, and Ras Halle Selassie Gugsa, governor ot most of 1t, has surrendered to Italy
 3-Italy to obtain the eastern provinces of Ogaden and Harar.
 4-Italy would agree to cession by Britain of the Port of zeila, in British Somaliland, to Ethiopia. Tn return Ethiopia would permit Italy to build 8 railway linking Italian Somaliland and Eriterea.
 5-The remainder of Ethiopia to be placed under a mandate system with dominant Italian influence, as proposed by the eLague of Nations
 6-Mussolini to consent to settle ment of the dispute by the League Council.
 It was reported that Laval was awaiting an outline by Premier Benito Miissolini of Italy of his minimum demands for cessation of his East African campaign.
 Such an outline, 1t was said, was expected as g reply to an urgent plea which Laval sent to Mussolini by Baron Pompeo Aloisi, who re- turned to Rome last weekend from Geneva where he was chief Italian delegate to the League of Nations
 Sees Papal Nunci0 | Laval yesterday saw in turn Mon- signor Luigio; Vittorio Cerruti, Ital- petitioners for the re-check would have to shoulder.
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