Evening star., 1936-01-19
EDEN MAY FIGHT Ill DUCE
TOCAIN BALDWIN'S CHAIR
Secretary Uses League as Stepping
Stone to POwer-PersOnal Feud
With MussOlini Recalled.

u
an oil embargo of its own, was forcing
their hands. They had counted upon
Washington to decline to help in sane
tions and in the oil matter it seemed
to them that Judge Hull was actually
moving in advance of Geneva.
When Hoare. with Baldwin's ap-
proval. made the compromise proposal
in company with Laval, Eden saw his
chance. He had hoped to succeed Sir
John Simon as foreign secretary. His
failure to persuade Or coerce Musso-
lini into abandoning the Ethiopian
adventure when he visited Rome in
June had been one of the reasons for
his disappointment. Baldwin had
named Hoare and now the moment
had come for Eden to ruin Hoare and
discredit Baldwin. To achieve his
end Eden first provided Pertinax, a
celebrated French journalist, with a
copy of the Hoare-Laval agreement.
thus insuring its publication before
it could be accepted either by Rome
or Adds Ababa, and then let it be
known that he was planning to re-
sign from the cabinet.
Storm Breaks in England.
The premature publication of the
terms of the Hoare-Laval proposal
precipitated storm in England,
where the public had not as yet had
time to see the truth about sanctions,
namely. that they were likely to bring
war not alone On one, but perhaps on
three continents. The Socialist press
seized upon the episode to renew Its
attack on the Tories. designed to force
them to continue to support Geneva's
pressure upon Italy. Conscious that
they had been deceived, ignorant of
the realities of the international situ-
alton, the British public turned upon
Baldwin and Hoare, and Eden's long
prepared and skilfully developed hour
had arrived. At Geneva he success
fully sabotaged the Hoare-Laval COM
promise and thus made his support
OF the League ladder by which to
climb to the Office he had coveted so
long and also device for avenging
himself upon both Baldwin and Hoare.
Eden has, then, used the League to
enable himself to become foreign Sec
retary. But he obviously will not
rest now until he replaces Baldwin.
Aside from the personal equation,
Eden, like so many others among the
younger Tories, is inspired by the con-
viction that it is the policy of wisdom
to smash Fascist Italy now before
Mussolini can entrench himself in
East Africa and consolidate his situ-
alton in the Mediterranean. Eden
and his fellows see the British empire
menaced by three challenges, namely,
the Italian. the German and the
Japanese. If Italy can be crushed be-
fore Germany is ready, they calculate
that Britain will be in a better posi-
ton to dispose of Hitler.
For these younger Tories the League
is a machine for safeguarding the ter
rltorial integrity and the naval and
military security of the British en-
pire. They see that for the future the
British choice lies between making
concessions to less fortunate countries
for example permitting Italy to Gre
ate colonial empire in East Africa
and returning some of Germanys old
,olonieS-and sooner or later fighting
these Havenots. They recognize that
A strong Italy is incompatible with a
secure Britain and that with the
League under their control they will
De able easily to lead smaller states to
Join them in crushing Italy.
Exerts Pressure on Paris.
Eden can, and doubtless already has
5aken advantage of the Turkish de-
sire to recover Rhodes, of the Greek |
aspiration to acquire the other is
ands of the Dodecanesus, of the
Yugoslav anxiety to get Fiume, as
means to line these states up as allies
N the struggle which he foresees and |
probably plans to force upon Italy in |
me next few weeks. through the me-
1lum OF sanctions. In the same way |
ne is steadily exerting pressure on
Paris by reverting to tactics which he
employed last Spring before he went
~ ~oAA-S, eoCbACS WHICH amount TO /
threatening France with an Anglo |
ierman partnership If she declines to |
follow Britain's lead in smashing Italy. |
). Eoen's idea in dealing with Musso-
uni was illustrated by what one 0
MS sympathizers said to q friend Of |
mine IN Paris, Eve British" said he.
made mistake in the case Of the |
l1rst Napoleon. We had him caught |
N Egypt when he was still not an
and we let him get away from
is. Effectively, we have got Mussolini
caught in Ethiopia and the thing to |
10 Is to smash him now before he |
becomes too formidable. Our failure
% deal with Napoleon cost us IS years
If war. Eden and the young Tories
about him do not mean to repeat that |
,lunder."
On the personal side, the feud be-
'ween Eden and Mussolini has filled !
Europe with its repercussions. When
eden went to Rome last Summer, he
CONTINUED on Ninth Page.)