Evening star., 1938-04-07
ROME PACT TALKS
HITCH HANT|C|PATED
Franco Success Cuts Value
of AngIo-French
Concessions.
By PERTINAX.

PARIS, April (N.ANA) The
Anglo-I Italian agreement, now being
given its final touches, will become
operative at a date which both sigma
tories reserve to themselves the right
to select
The British government is willing
that the agreement be put into force
once Italy has not only adhered to the
plan discussed by the London Com
mlttee for the withdrawal of Spanish
volunteers, but has performed her
obligations under that plan. The Fas-
cist government will do the same after
de Jure recognition of its Ethiopian
conquest has been obtained from Great
Britain. Therefore, for the present,
all causes in the contemplated Anglo
Italian agreement will remain in sus-
pense. Nothing has finally crystallized
as yet.
French Raise New Issue.
Lately the French cabinet has
raised a new issue through its AM
bassador to London. 1t insists that.
when foreigners fighting in Spain are
recalled, due account must be taken
OF the categorieS to which they be-
long and that withdrawal should not
be arranged to take place merely upon
a numerical basis.
For instance, the French Ministry OF
Forelgn Affairs would regard as un-
lalr and dangerous to French and
BRUSH interests that the German and
1taIlan governments should be able
10 repatrlate their So-called volunteers
ana leave behind on Spanish terri
tory their "technicians," that is, air.
men, engineers and sailors serving
ABOARD submarines, under the pretext
mat foreigners found on the govern
ment side are all too few to be re-
garded as fair offset.
IL is expected here that all will not
pe pam sailing with the plan so slowIv
worked out by the London committee
some weeks ago that plan greatly at
'facteo the Berlin and Rome govern
mentS because what seemed To them @
very GOOD price was set upon the with
oraWal OF volunteers. that is the grant
ing 10 the nationalist regime of the
right Of bellieerency and re-estsh,ish-
nlenI OF international control on the
Fyrehean frontier. But as Gen
FRANCES victory becomes more snd
more complete, that counterpart wanes
steadily.
Fear Murderous ReprisaIs.
ContraryWise, the French and BRIT.
Hh governments now find the forego-
ing plan more and more favorable to
tilelr interests as, We're it to succeed
they would get for practically nothing
lhe elimination of Frances German
ana Italian auXiliaries. Moreover both
regard it as a real boon that the in.
tefnatlonal commissions that would be
sent 10 Spain would be in a position ia
ward of the murderous reprisals
which unfortunately bid fair to become
more and more the rule and internose
themselves between all contendins
factions.
Return to Spanish Morocco of the
natlVe troops which play such a great
part IN the civil war is a special cause
OF anxiety for the French, They want
TO make sure those troops will not take
pack with them German and Italian
war material, and, therefore claim
that the Moorish regiments ought to
be placed under some kind of inter-
national supervision. All such points
Will have TO be elucidated carefully
and settled.
Inc question is whether italy will
accept on her part, with the preat
opportunity available to her to make
the most of her nuisance value in
the Western Mediterranean as against
oe Jure recognition by England and
France OF her Eastern African Empire
However, the advantage that would
accrue to the Rome government from
d oe1lnlte and formal abandonment
of the Ethiopian cause by the Western
powers must not be undervalued.
Gloomy Picture of Ethiopia.
All independent observers who re-
Gently visited that land paint a gloomy
picture OF the state of affairs that
obtains there. Enough to indicate
this Is the fact that Marshal Graziani.
when he was recalled from his post
OF governor general, left the country
ON January in practically the same
way as the Emperor did nearly two
years earlier.
No military function Of any kind
his departure. He refused to
leave Adds Ababa in the special train
the management Of the French rail-
way had ordered for him. He chose to
go in his motor car, preceded and
followed by two afmored cars, and es-
corted by two airplanes which few
300 and 600 meters, respectively above
him. He only boarded the train at
distance of 200 kilometers from the
capital and before entering the local
station sent word that all officers and
soldiers WhO uyera having tbair rnoolc