Evening star., 1937-04-04
NEW DUCE CHALLENGE
TO BRITAIN PENDING
Aroused by Defeat of Italian
Troops in Spain, Believed Planning
to Send Other Forces to War Front.

Great Britain have taken their re-
armament problem seriously and are
sparlng no expense to outdo their
Italian and German rivals They
have the money and the raw materials.
On the other hand, Mussolini and
Hitler are losing breath in this arma-
ment race. Their resources are almost
drained; money is running short,
credits shorter
or the two democratic powers, they
fear Great Britain more than France.
When the British government con-
siders the question of imperial Sc
curity it must think in terms OF the
Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the
Pacific. And Mussolini and Hitler
perceive the British armor still has
SO many vulnerable points that they
can with safety force an issue at the
present moment.
Visit Seen as Warning.
Despite official statements from
Rome that II Duce's government has
no intention of challenging Britain
in North Africa and Arabia, there is
no doubt that Mussolinis visit to
Tripoli was arranged to warn London
that Italy might find allies among the
nations which Great Britain is rul-
ing, officially or unoficially, at the
present moment. And London has
taken the hint
The fact that representatives Of the
powerful Arab chieftain, King Ibn
Saud, came to pay their respects to
the Italian dictator was not unnoted
in Downing Street. Ibn Saud is
power in the Mohammedan world.
After having conquered, under the
nose of British guns and airplanes,
the Kingdom of Hedjaz with the
holy cities Of Mecca and Medina from
Britains protege King Hussein, Ibn
Saud has more grandiose plans. He
wants to establish his control over the
Mesopotamian valley and in Palestine.
Iraq. the king is a dummy in the
hands of the British colonial Office.
Palestine is under British Mandate.
Mussolini has told Sauds men that
Italy is strong enough so that 1t does
not have TO fear the Arab power, and
instead of endeavoring to subject the
Moslems in Africa and Arabia, he. is
willing to have them as partners.
Whether Ibn Saud believes MuSSollni
or not is another matter. But there
is an Arab proverb which says: Be
come the devils brother until you
have crossed the bridge" Eastern
politics consequently demand that Ibn
Saud should take the words of II
Duce literally, until the British are
out What will happen later-1n.
shallah
The British government Is now
aware of the game II Duce Is play
ing. 1t wishes it had started build.
ing its navy and air force two years
sooner, but since it has not done so.
it relies on the weapons of diplomacy
to delay an armed conflict until such
a time as the British arms are ready
to meet any emergency.
Further Alliance Problem.
Furthermore, there is a German
japanese alliance which would be-
/ come effective in the event Of Brit
| ish- decentralization conflict. The
japanese would not have signed that
document, full of danger for all con-
cerned, unless they saw some definite
| advantages for themselves. 1t is an
open secret that among its various
clauses, the treaty provides that
Japan shall direct her naval and
military efforts towards the British
possessions in the Pacific-speciflcall
Hong Kong and ngapore-should
Britain become involved in a Euro
pean conflagration.
Two years hence. when the British
Far Eastern squadron. composed of
| battleships, cruisers, destroyerS and
submarines, to say nothing of an i'm
posing air force, will be based at
Singapore, the japanese German al
! lance will have lost much of its
present value. But today Great
Britain is well-nigh powerless in the
Pacific
! Mussolini is worried over the Brit
! ish rearmament program-more wor-
/ ried than Hitler He was aware of
the extent of the British armament
last August when he said, privately,
Britain was going to spend in the
course of the next few years were
aimed principally at Italy. THE
British" he stated in private con-
versation. have the momory Of an
elephant. They will never forget the
humiliation suffered from Italy DUR
ing the Ethiopian affair. They might
make friendly approaches in the near
future to stall me off. But I know
what the British have in mind. They
want to dictate once more in the
Mediterranean; they want to make
Italy pay dearly for her determina-
ton to have colonial empire"
If MuSsolmi decides, after having
consulted Hitler to send troops to
Spain, this will not be done solely in
the spirit of helping the Fascist cause
in Spain. 1t will be challenge to
the other two Mediterranean powers.
but chiefly Great Britain.
(Copyrisht Mcclure Newspaper