Evening star., 1938-05-29
ROME-PAR|S RIFT
H|TSBR|T|SHPACT
MusSoIini's Address Today
Expected to Reveal
Extent of Peril.
By JAMES M. MINIFIE.

BY JAMES M. MlNlflE
New York Herald-Trbune Correspondent.
ROME. May 28.-The difficulties
between France and Italy over Spain
are so grave that they have not only
brought negotiations for an under
standing to halt, but are threaten
ing by repercussion the recently con-
cluded, but not yet effective, Anglo
Italian agreement to obtain Whlch
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
sacrificed Anthony Eden.
This will probably be made clear
Sunday, when II Duce addresses the
Italian people in connection with tne
celebration of solidarity day for rebel
Spain. 1t is probably clear to those
who see behind the scenes. In one
of the letters accompanying the An
elo-Italian agreement it was Speclheo
bv the British Ambassador in Rome
, that his majesty's government regard
ed settlement of the Spanish question
as a prerequisite to the entering into
force of the agreement between Italy
and England.
Victory Only Settlement.
AS II Duce has made abundantly
clear before and since. his nterpre-
tation of the word settlement" Is
outright victory for Generalissimo
Francisco Franco, and no other set
tlement would be satisfactory. Un-
doubtedly at the time the Anslo-1tal-
ian negotiations were going on the
Italians were confident that the spring
offensive which they and the Ger
mans were organizing and equipping,
would bring the war to speedy con-
clusion. The drive to the coast sue
ceeded in breaking loyalist Spain in
half, but as Rebel Gen. Yaguo admit
ted this failed to inflict decisive
blow on the loyalist forces. The pros
. pects of defeat are still in the future.
and with it the coming into force Of
the Anglo-Italian agreement.
Meanwhile France is still contlnu-
ing to support the cause OF loyallst
Spain. In France the Spanish ques-
ton has gone beyond party lines. for
now every Frenchman. no matter to
what party he belongs, dislikes the
idea of German and Italian penetra-
ton of the southern frontier. Without
sending much material herself. tor
she needs it for her own army,
> France has facilitated the sending OF
Russian and Czech supplies across the
Pvrenees into Catalonia and thereby
enabling the loyalists to prolong their
resistance.
Thus the French attitude retards
the date when the Anglo-1tallan
agreement will come into effect. Be
sides. their decision to increase the
numbers of their Negro troops IN
Africa aroused Italian anger and led
the Italians to threaten that they
would be forced to take similar meas
ures bv arming Abyssinian natives.
This. the Italians promised specihcal-
" not to do In annex six OF the
Anelo-Italian agreement. Hence. the
agreement is threatened before 1t
even becomes effective.
FriendIiness Lessons.
With the feeling toward France
embittered and the Anglo-Itallan
agreement shaky. there is notice
, able lessening Of the friendliness to-
ward democracies in general in which
the United States, naturally. shares.
For some reason. America Is always
Jumped by the Fascists with Britain
and France, and when they are IN
GOOD order, America is left alone
But one OF the surest signs that Brit
ain and France are falling from grace
Is recrudescense of attacks on the
United States which is portrayed
alternately as q cats paw and string
puller of European democracies.
The public is watching the situation
With some anxiety, for nowhere Is
there anything but dislike for the
Rome-Berlin axis. The very Black
Shirts who turned out to cheer, ADMIT
readily that they have no use for the
Germans. Considering the amount OF
propaganda which is devoted to BOOST
ing the Germans, this is a tribute to
the obstinacy of public reaction. But
it does not alter the fact that ottc!al-
" France is in the doghouse ana
Britain appears to be headed for IT
unless trends are soon reversed
(copyrisft, 1888, by New York Tribune