The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-07
France To
 Use Their Fleets
tCuntinusd from Pase D


 tary principles of international law
 Russia unqualif1edly demanded CD discontinuation of submarine attacks; (2) full compensation fol damages done to Russian shipping; (3) compensation to sailors of at- tackled vessels; (D exemplary pun ishment of those guilty of the at- tacks.
 Italy Makes Reply
 ''To this (Russian) note the fore- ign ministry replied that Italy re- jects responsibility and at the same time rejects in total the demands of the Sovet government"
 Immediate speculation concerned the possibility that Russia might break relations with Italy and seek at whatever suicidal cost--to con- voy her merchant shipping through the Mediterranean.
 Secondly 1t was asked whether Italy would attend the Mediter- ranean conference at all If Russia did. ...
 It was feared that if Italy did at- tend the conference, that Russia would accuse her there of Subma- rine attacks on neutral shipping and that Italy would withdraw from the conference-to leave other nations to take what action they liked aS regards the submarine menace.
 Russia Dared All Others
 Automatically, the first serious ness of the Russian note was that it mentioned Italy as the attacking na- tion. Everybody in Europe who reads the newspapers knows that every statesman believes that the pirate submarines operating in the Mediter- ranean are Italian. Ondcially, how ever, even in their most angry mo- ments, British, French and other leaders have refrained carefully from mentioning Italy because they hoped to find some way of ending the attacks-some way short of 8 formal European agreement to pool navies against the submarines and wage an official, if undeclared, war on them.
 Now there was the apparent cer- tainty that if Italy did go to the Lake Geneva conference she would be arraigned at once as the pirate nation and that Russia would draw other nations into a dispute in which fighting words had been blagoned to the world.
 MussOlini Comedies Nothing
 No one who knew anything of the temper and temperament of Premier Benito Mussolini believed that he would concede an inch to any de- mands made on him in any such circumstances.
 Rather, it had been feared even before the Russian note that Italy, at the Mediterranean conference, would take occasion to demand that the Spanish nationalists be recog- nized as belligerents in the civil war and thus bring the whole Spanish crisis to the front again.
 For five weeks submarines have been attacking peaceful merchant men in the Mediterranean; more than 8 score of ships totalling 90,0O0 tons and including a British destroy CT have been attacked; nine totaling 5000 tons and belonging to six na- tions, have been actually sunk, and in some attacks life was lost.
 France, Britain Ready
 Both France and Britain-despite their alarms almost certainly the two strongest nations in Europe with their combined air forces and navies and Frances gigantic army of trained reServes-are holding in re- serve the plans they may use if the l2-power Mediterranean conference breaks down, or is indecisive. But they must end the submarine mem ace. They could agree to defend each others shipping and grant mutual use of naval bases. France could per- init passage of volunteers and mu- nitionS over her frontiers to the Spanish loyalists - thus defeating completely the submarine campaign intended to stop the flow of Russian supplies to the loyalists.
 In this dispatch, because of the urgency of the European situation, l A1hNC AiOO UdACAl aCCOuAAt VI tAAC G cA Eastern crisis. Great Britain, as mother country of the empire, and with interests of her own all over the world, must consider all prob- lens as parts of a whole.
 Japan Answers Britain
 Only yesterday, Japan delivered her interim reply to Britatn's note demanding the fullest measure of redress" for Japanese airplane at- tack on her ambassador to China. This note expresses regret for the attack and promises that Japan will exert every precaution against such attacks in future. But 1t goes on to say that 1t is not yet proved that a Japanese plane attacked the alnbas- sador and that hence Investigation must be continued. Japanese war; ships are operating close to British Hong Kong in their blockade of the China coast.
 What Russia Sees
 The Far East is of as great con- cern to Russia as to Britain. Russia sees Italy, Germany and Japan as joint enemies, the diplomatic dan- gers and disirabilities of diversions" are well known Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia as centrally con- trolled nations are able to seek di-