Evening star., 1939-01-09
Mr.. Chamberlain in Rome

Mr.. Chamberlain in Rome
Neville Chamberlain, indefatiga-
bic II not altogether triumphant
apostle Of appeasement, is on the
march again this week. Accompanied
by Foreign Secretary Viscount Hall
fax, the Prime Minister will pay his
respects to Premier Mussolini in
Rome on Wednesday. En- route, he
will stop at Paris for consultation
with Premier Daladier, for 1talys
recent territorial demands on France
are to form major topic Of the
Anglo-1talian discussions.
Mr.. Chamberlain leaves London
amid expressions of anxious hope
that Rome will witness no repetition
OF the history made when last the
Prime Minister went touring to the
continent-the epochal events at
Berchtesgaden and Munich. Happily,
from the standpoint Of the democra-
cies, there is little prospect of any
such denouement from the CONVEX
sations with Mussolini.
The dawn of the new year finds the
Western powers, including the United
States, In no mood for yielding to
totalitarian pressure in any direction.
Last week saw both the French and
American governments in dramatic
demonstrations against the dictator
ships. M. Daladier's trip to Corsica,
Tunis and Algiers provided unmis-
taxable proof of Paris disinclination
to submit to Fascist clamor for ter
ritory under threats of force. While
the French Premier was thus notify
Ing the Italian branch OF the Rome
Berlin axis that the spirit OF terrori-
zation which hovered over Munich
has lost its spell, President Roose-
velt, In his annual message to Con-
gress, told all concerned that the
United States is preparing Ito put our
own house In order, in the face of
storm signals from across the seas"
Before these coincident and sig
nif1cant developments in France and
this country, the British government
had declared In Parliament that Ger
many is chasing moonbeams If she
counts on any restoration OF colonial
territory over which the Union Jack
now flies. So Britain's responsible
spokesman proceeds to the Palazzo
Venezia, it may be said, as the ennis
sary of democratic forces which have
found themselves-forces no longer
minded to dance to the tune piped
by the devotees OF bluff and intimida-
ton as instruments Of international
policy.
Keen to convert the Anglo Italian
pact into that reality" which he
conceived 1t to be, when it was nego-
tiated last April, Mr.. Chamberlain
will omit no opportunity to persuade
Mussolini to fulfill one of its cardinal
provisions-withdrawal of Fascist
volunteers" from Spain. Assured
that the Prime Minister would press
for their evacuation, General Franco
launched the so-called "Chamber-
lain offensive" against Barcelona In
the expectation that the Rome con-
versations would coincide with In
surgent victory. That seems today
slender hope. For the rest, the Brit
ish leader is certain to leave II Duce
in no doubt that any Italian attempt
to seize Corsica or Tunisia, or other
wise alter the Mediterranean status
quo, would find Britain loyalty at the
side of France.
In any efforts peaceably to improve
1taly's position In the Middle Sea or
North Africa, through acquisition of
a share In the control Of the Suez
CanaL or better port and rail facili-
ties for Ethiopia at Djibouti in
French Somaliland, British support
OF Rome's claims is doubtless avail
able. But 1t is very different Ne
vile Chamberlain from the Prime
Minister Of Munich days that is about
to be welcomed by Hitler's ally on the
eY1La~