The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-17

to Premier Mussolini, but no reply had been received when the com- niittee meeting broke up.
 Geneva, April IT CUPD - France appealed direct to Italy to- day, in the interest of European peace, to agree to an armistice with Ethiopia. France then appealed to Great Britain urging it to re- frain from seeking new League of Nations penalties against Italy. on the ground that the stability of all Europe might be menaced.
 The appeals were made while league leaders feared the collapse of their efforst to end the Italian Ethiopian war and, as result, the death of the system of collective se- curity under the league as now con- stituted. Striving desperately to effect compromise, Joseph Paul Boncour, chief French delegate, ap- pealed personally to Baron Pompeo Aloisi of Italy in his country's name to ask Premier Benito Mussolinl to agree to an armistice. Aloisi coldly pointed out that he was here merely san envoy without plenipotentiary powers. He agreed to transmit the appeal but offered no encourage ment that Mussolini would accept It.
 Paul Boncour, the nightmare of . possible European war before him, urged that Mussolini agree to an armistice if only for few days in order that peace negotiations might be started on terms to which league nations could agree.
 Paul. -Boncour then visited Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, stern young leader of those who hold that Italy must end its war at once or endure new league penalties.
 To Eden, Paul-Boncour urged that Britain exercise every moderation and refrain from seeking new pen alties.
 There remained, apparently, but . few hours before there must be a definite turn in a diplomatic emer- gency.
 Leaders Must Decide
 Leaders prepared for a meeting of the league council committee Of 13 this afternoon at which, unless there was a favorable reply from Mussolini, must decide:
 1--Shall Italy be permitted a vic- tory over Ethiopia and the league that threatens the leagues effective life?
 2-If not shall the league chal- 1enge Mussolini to start the Euro pean war he has threatened by i'm posing new penalties?
 3-Shall the league temporize, and try further-and hopelessly-for Italian concession while the Italian armies crush Ethiopia?
 Report On Charges
 Just before the committees meet inn, a commission of jurists com pleted a report on mutual Italian and Ethiopian charges of atrocities in the war. These were to be con- sidered by the committee of l3, and, leaders feared, further embitter feeling.
 Backs to the wall, the Ethiopian delegates stood fast.
 Madariaga, representing the league, informed them of Italy's peace terms, entailing unconditional surrender. They would not reply, but stood on their demand that the league enforce all penalties, military as well as economic, against Italy for it's aggression.
 Delegates Bitter
 The bitterness among delegates was made more apparent by the leagues publication of an exchange of angry Italian and British notes on Italian bombing activities in Ethi- opia.
 Britain protested against the bonn bardment of @ British Red Cross unit at Korem. Italy replied: "The unit has been gravely compromised in repeated attacks on Italian air craft" and asked Britain for i'm mediate measures to prevent pro vocatiye acts of war" by it's Red Cross units.
 Britain replied rejecting the Ital- ian contentious, asking assurance that Italian aviators would be in- structed not to attack British Red Cross units, and threatening to de- mand compensation for Red Cross losses.
 No sooner were those notes distrib- uted that Italy telegraphed charge that Ethiopians mutilated and tor turned nine Italian Eritrean soldiers at Garba Hagi March 8.
 Ethiopia Again Objects
 The committee of B reconvened