June 6.
Argentina's. proposal for the Abyssinian question to be referred to the Assembly of the League may be embarrassing to certain diplomatic minds in Great Britain and France. - It has, however, the clear merit of giving the League the best chance of operating without becom= ing involved in the maze of doubts regarding the course of events in western Europe. Discussion of the sanctions problem in Great Britain has been free and frank, It has revealed almost as incompatible grouping of the various disputants as the original issue raised by Italy's invasion of Ethiopia. This is, in a sense, due to Herr Hitler's: remilitarization of Rhineland, the Advocates of an acceptance of the fait accompli in Ethiopia and the consequent precipitate abandon= ment of "sanctions" are joined by others who, although strongly approving of "sanctions" a few months ago, are impressed by what they regard as the menace to European security arising from the turn of events on Germany's western frontier. It is not easy to satisfied with this pseudo realism. Put in plain terms it means that Great Britain and France are invited hastily to recant, their objections to Signor Mussolini's aggression in order to ensure Italian support for measures taken to safeguard Europe against Hitlerian ambition, Assuming that Italy is prepared to accept the doubtful compliment thus paid to her, it must be obvious that such a policy would give Germany every ground for maintaining that the League members were planning her encirclement. The British memorandum {o Herr Hitler takes. pains to recognize the good faith of Germany's expressed desire for peace, albeit it poses certain ques-ions to confirm the accuracy of the deduction. The unreserved recreation of the Stresa Front would be regarded as forestalling Hery Hitler's reply and refusing to give Germany the benefit of the doubt, It is true that Signor Mussolini has baldly hinted that rejection of his favours may throw him into Germany's arns, but that ex parte suggestion is not so impressive without endorsement by Berlin—a movement of which no sign has been given, Germany desires fo return to the League—in certain cireumstances. If the League, in the effort to save its skin, indulged in a cynical repudiation' of its' basic
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.