The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-05-05
ECONOMIC H1GHL1GHTs


out of England to the Nazis an
Fascists. and is proof of the per
fidity Of Albion" 81
Those two statements indicate tn
extremes of opinion regarding thi
Immensely important document
signed the day before Easter b.
Count Ciano, italian Foreign Min
lister, and Lord Perth, British Am
bassador to Rome Nothing that ha
happened In tangled Europe ha
scared up more headlines or beer
reflected in more diversity of opin
ion. Both the pact's friends ant
enemies are intensely vocal And i
seems a certainty that If the Cham,
berlain government and the foreign
policy 1t has adopted remain in tn,
ascendant, it will be because of thi!
pact. And If the Chamberlain gov.
eminent falls, it will likely be be.
cause Of this pact. Only time car
tell what will come Of it-or answer
the more immediate question o.
what the English masses think Of
cooperation and Cancellation with
the dictators.
The pact completely covers points
Of conflict between Italian and Eng
lish interests In the Mediterranean
Italy guarantees to cease spreading
anti-English propaganda among
Britain's African subjects. She
likewise guarantees the preservation
Of England's rights in Lake Tana,
headwaters Of the Blue Nile. And
the two governments agree to in
form each other beforehand in the
event of any changes in their mill
tary facilities in both the Mediter-
ranean and the Red Sea.
OF greater importance so far as
the rest Of the world Is concerned,
Is England's great concession to
Italy-she agrees to recognize the
conquest Of Ethiopia, and to help
italy get recognition from the 9TH
er members Of the League Of Ma
tons. Thus England gives her Off
cial recognition to q bloody con-
quest which was strongly denounc-
ed by the English government in
power at that time.
OF equal Importance is what
amounts to an abandonment of the
Spanish non-intervention pact. Italy
agrees to withdraw her troops and
supplies from that troubled coun-
try (thus, by indirection officially
admitting what everyone knew: that
she has been an active participant
in the revolution) as soon as the
war ends. This is the last straw
so far as the Spanish government is
concerned, and makes Franco VIC
tory, and the consequent establish
ment Of Spanish Fascist govern
ment largely dominated by Hitler,
virtual certainty.
So far as this pact's possible in
1uence on the map Of Europe is
concerned, an earthquake could
hardly have been more effective. It
means that England, rightly or
wrongly, has gone whole hog" in
conciliating the dictators. It means
that France is le1b alone, bordered
by enemies and that, from ne
cessity, she too may be forced to
attempt to make similar pacts with
Germany and Italy It means that
the little countries, such as Czecho-
slovakia THAT island of democracy
in q sea Of despotism") have been
abandoned to their fate-which
must almost inevitably mean sub
servience to the will of the Reich,
even If they escape being made a
geographical part of Germany, as
was Austria. It means, finally, that
Russia will stand alone, a gigantic
land connecting Europe and Asia, in
opposition to Hitler and, to a lesser
extent, Mussolini In all this comes
to pass, the stage will be set for an
invasion Of Russia by Germany
possibly accompanied by an inva-
sion by Japan from the Asiatic side.
Thus, 1t Is apparent. even from
this brief review, that the possible
consequences Of present-day Brit
ish policy, as reflected in this pact,
are limitless. The pact has undoubt-
edly delayed. though no one knows
how long, the possibility of ma
jor European war. But, think its
critics, it has, at the same time, fur
thered an eventual war which will
be all the more horrible and de-
structive because of the great con-
cessions that belligerent dictators
have wrung from Britain. Certainly
from any point of view. the pact has
weakened the sick cause
Of European democracy.
So far as this country is concern
ed, It seems to be true that the
Chamberlain government and its
policies are unpopular-and that this
pact has made even more remote the
chance of the American people be-
Ing willing to enter into accord with
England. Likewise, such events as
his must inevitably increase the
feeling that the only policy We can
pursue TODAY is one of rigorous iso-