The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-22

er1ceS with his former chief One was in regard to the Cham berlain policy in Spain, especially the granting of belligerent rights to Rebel General Franco.
 eff that happens" the young ex-foreign minister said, 'T shall resign from the Conserva- tive party"
 Eden, although already resigned from the Cabinet, remains mem- Der of Chamberlain's party, and his resignation from it would be 8 terrific political blow to the prime minister.
 Within the past few weeks, the United States also has made 1t clear to both the French and the British that this country is abso- lutely opposed to granting belli- gerent rights to Franco. Bell hgerent rights would give the Fascists the right to blocake Span ish -Loyalist ports, would cut off all food supplies, starve out Bar celona in short order. With bel hgerent rights, Franco could blow up British, French, American vessels. It would mean an early Fascist victory.
 Italian Strategy
 Another matter discussed dur ing the Eden visit-which dove tails into Spain-is what Mus- solini really wants in the Medit- teranean.
 It was the consensus of Bu- tish and American opinion that at present he does not really want Tunis. His strategy is to yell for Tunis SO hard that the French, to shut him up, will compromise on less.
 Benito actually wants three things:
 l. The French railroad from Djibouti, on the Red Sea, to
 Addis Ababa, capital of Ethio- pia. (The Italians want to pay for this on such long,
 term installments that 1t would
 be a virtual gift)
 2. Participation in control of the Suez canal.
 3. Belligerent rights for Franco.
 Mussolini most wants the last. It means the end of the war in Spain, gives him 8 chance to sta- ton Italian troops along the French border, gives him naval air air bases to cut France off from her African colonies. After establishing these, if he wanted Tunis, he could probably take it. For this reason Premier Dala- dier is adamant against giving bel- hgerent rights to Franco. He would much rather give Il Duce the first two concessions.
 The French have exchanged views with the Roosevelt admin istration on this, and they see eye to eye. The administration has gone even further and en- couraged the French to sand up against the, British.
 Diplomatic opinion is that joint efforts of the French, the U. S. A. and Captain Eden may steady the weak knees of Neville Chamber lain.
 FDR Toast
 During the recent congressional junket to Florida, Governor Fred Cone invited several of the Wash ington visitors to an informal function where a toast was drunk to President Roosevelt. Here was the toast:-.
 "TO Franklin DelanO Roosevelt
 may God bless, and cOr-
 rect, him."
 Hoover Breakfast
 Herbert Hoover maintained a tight-lipped silence on politics during his recent one-day visit in Washington, but he listened with keen interest to the comments of others.
 The discussion occurred at a breakfast given by NaClonal Chalr- man John Hamilton. Present were about a dozen of Hoover's old friends, plus Republican congress sional leaders. Most vocal was Senator Vandenberg of Michi- gan.
 He had quite a bit to say about the pro-Townsendism of his young Massachusetts, colleague, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, and it was not favorable. "Auctioneer' was what Vandenberg called him, for proposing a 60-a-month com. promise old-age pension plan.
 Tom Dewey and OhiO's new Republican Senator Robert Taft were two others who did not