Evening star., 1938-04-18
Pax Mediterranean.

AS disillusioned world recalls the
Nlne-Power Treaty, Locarno, Lausanne,
Stresa, the Kellogg Pact and other post
war devices designed to nurture that
fragile plant known as world peace, it
will not incline to ascribe millennial
Importance to the Anglo Italian agree
ment, the latest product of European
statecraft in the precarious realm Of
international appeasement. Fashioned
primarily to extract the gunpowder with
which 1talo-British relations have been
charged, the accord signed at Rome
Saturday night is herslded as the FORE
runner of a far wider European new
settlement to embrace Great Britain,
France, Italy, Germany and Poland.
The new Daladier government will
move this week to rebuild Frances fences
with Mussolini, on the broad lines of
Brltains arrangement with him. There
upon, as Poland's ally, the French would
seek to bring Warsaw within the orbit
OF a five-power compact looking to gen.
eral continental security. In the Ian
guage of currently popular song, it's
"Nlce Work If You Can Get It." The
power -wielders on the Thames, the Seine
and the Tiber evidently think the effort
is worth making. The Chamberlain
Mussolini bargain is constructive and
commendable start along a path thickly
strewn with difficulties and clashing
ambitions.
Undisclosed in the document initiated
by Ambassador Earl Perth and Foreign
Minister Ciano, but clearly underlying
Its text, is the hope dormant in both
British and Italian breasts that the
treaty will sap the Berlin-Rome axis
Of much, If not all, Of its potency. It
aspres at least to minimize its nuisance
value as war-menacing contrivance.
Hitler is to 60 to Rome in May. He will
receive a spectacular welcome, If for no
other reason than to give Fascist politi-
cal showmen a chance to prove they
can put on as good a circus as the NaN
Barnums staged when Mussolini was in
Berlin. But that 1t will be the sour
wine of disenchantment and resentment
In which II Duce will toast Der Fuehrer
Is not to be doubted. Anschluss has
interviewed since Hitlers visitation was
arranged. Tens of thousands of Ger
man troops are now garrisoned at the
Brenner, gazing gloweringly at their
national comrades" living a minority
existence in the Tyrol under the fasces
instead of the swastika. Amid all the
red fire which will illuminate the
Capitoline Hill while Hitler is in town,
Italian indignation, hot, though I'M
expressed, will flame over the German
military occupation that ensued in Aus
tria, instead of the simple racial" union
which Hitler supposedly projected.
Thus Britain, which is spending
$500 100000 on arming against the
aggressor powers, has every reason to
expect that Mussolini now welcomes an
entente with once profdious Albion as
q useful foil against an Unsuitable, East
bound Germany. The British, on their
part. acquire in Italy potential friend
In case of Nazi pretensions, colonial or
otherwise, inimical to empire interests.
OF immediate concern in their give-and-
take arrangement is British recognition
Of the Ethiopian conquest, Italian re-
nunciation of territorial, political or
ir3c ~
acknowledgement of vital" and ESSEN
tial' interests in the Mediterranean and
contiguous areas, including the Suez
Canal.
Mr.. Chamberlain, whose policy of
traff1cking with the relationships was
recently rebuked in a London parlia-
mentary by-election, doubtless halls the
realistic" Italian pact as a vindication
Of his program. Should II Duce's word
turn out to be as good as his bond, such
hopes may prove to have been well
founded. There is one angle of nom
European significance. Some OF the
Prime Minister'S detractors contend that
proud Britannia has been blackmailed
into an agreement with the upstart of
Rome. 1t can be counterclaimed with
equal consistency that the Pax Mediter-
ranean liberates British policy and sea
power for a frmer hand in the Far
East. Thus events Of the week end may
eventually undermine not only the
Rome Berlin axis but the Rome Berlin
Toxic axis as well.