Evening star., 1936-08-23
Italy


Continued From First Page.)
hatchet with France and work closely
with her. The basis for such q COM
promise was laid by the late French
Foreign Minister Barthou, and we ar
ranged the details with Laval In jan
uary of 1885 when we informed him
that we would take Ethiopia. or parts
Of it. He gave his whole-hearted con-
sent to that scheme, which was SUBJ
mitted to Ramsay Macdonald during
the Stresa conference, Q few months
later.
"MacDonald's reaction was not un-
favorable to Mussolini's plans. He
only wanted us to 90 slowly, not rush
things. And we did. What happened
later the world knows. Had We not
been stronger than the British sus-
pected us to be, we would have had
on our hands q first-class war with
the whole of Europe. Fortunately. we
we're strong enough-or the others
were too weak-and the world was
spared that calamity.
But, faced with a hostile Europe
bent TO rearm as fast as possible. and
fearing war Of revenge on the part
of the British, Mussolini could no
longer continue the lone-wolf policy.
He had to turn somewhere for even
tual assistance In the event of a con-
fagration. And the only other power
which was In sympathy with our aims.
which herself had been injured and
Inundated by the Franco British
group, was Germany. Having to choose
between the French. who change their
foreign policy as frequently as they
change their cabinets, and the Ger
mans, who follow one straight line of
policies abroad and at home, Mussolini
decided to make his ARRANGEMENTS
| with the latter. This does not mean
that we want to plunge Europe into
another war. 1t merely means that
the two most advanced nations in
Europe from the military and social
point Of view are leaning on each
other and make common front"
Could Have Been Avoided.
The German italian understanding
could have been avoided had the
French played fair with the Italians
during the sanctions period. It could
have been avoided even later had the
French at Geneva asked for an earlier
removal Of the useless sanctions. Mus
solin expected such action from them
and repeatedly said so to Count
Charles de Chambrun. the French
Ambassador in Rome. But Paris was
too anxious to play the game of Down.
ing street and, because it did not be-
Ieve that a lasting understanding
could be reached between the two die
tators, played into the hands of Hit
Ter.
The French are logical people. They
exaggerated, logically it Is true. the
serious differences between Italy and
the Reich in regard to Austria. They
repeated the famous sentence that IF
Austria had not existed it should have
been created" because her existence
between Italy and Germany would
make an understanding between the
two countries impossible. But Mus
solini decided otherwise. He yielded
Austria to the Germans when Hitler
offered him solution which was not
humiliating to II Duce. And the So
luton consisted in Nazifying Austria
from inside.
There Is not q soul In Rome who
does not realize that henceforth Mus
solini will play second fiddle in the
Danubian Valley. But they all be-
lieve that Germany will play fair
she will have to-and there can be
advantages for . country like Italy,
even If she does play second fiddle.
viii Alter Map Of Europe.
The practical result of this collab-
grafton between the two unitarian
states will change completely the face
Of Europe within the next few years.
Officially, they stand together as
the bulwark against the increasing
power of communism In Europe. To-
day 1t Is Spain which Is menaced:
tomorrow, they say here. it may be
France, and so on. Hitler and Mus
sofini are determined to crush that
indlteration. How they are going to
do it nobody quite knows. Un-
doubtedly through q war. And when
the attention of the optimistic ROM
ans Is drawn to the fact that another
war In Europe will spread communism
more quickly than the agitations Of
the Moscow agents. they shrug their
shoulders and doubt it. The German |
and the Italian people. they say, are
too well disciplined and too conscious |
Of their roles to be infected ty COM |
munism. And as long as these two |
nations stand out as defenders of law |
and order, there will be no bolshevism |
in Europe. There may be something |
In that, but It's . doubtful theory.
The consequence Of the German
italian understanding which is not |
talked about ofacially In Rome is,
however. more logical and more far
reaching.
This new combination Of powers
10000. 600 people in Germany and
Italy without counting their pos
sible satellites who heretofore have
been siding with France-intend and
might succeed In dominating Europe. |
Wants place in Sum"
Germany wants - place In the
SUM-; that is to say an unquestion-
able economic preponderance over
Central and Eastern Europe and col
onies.
Italy had her MI when she swal-
lowed Ethiopia. But she lives IN
fear that O. soon ~ Great Britain
has succeeded In rearming she VIII
move heaven and earth 10 get even
with Mussoltni And In the past
Britain has always %eot" her enemies. !
4.E. - 49, s2==..- -. =. 49,