While a certain amount of satisfaction has been expressed over the tone of Signor Mussolini's speech at Campodoglio, in which some sort of reply was made to President Roosevelt's personal plea to the Dictators, it is that type of satisfaction which is thankful for small mercies. Il Duce rejected the plea, and that was all, save that his speech wa: somewhat more moderate than some of his most recent utterances, Nothing more can be said about the satisfactory features, for beyond that one there was nothing of note except a certain naivete which strikes the reader oddly. Signor Mussolini claims that the Axis Powers are following a policy of peace, and collaboration. It would indeed be a happy world if it could accept these words at their face value, but opposed to them are the actions of the Axis Powers during the past few years. With such accomplished facts as the Austrian anschluss, the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, and Memel on the part of Germany, and Spain, ai Ethiopia and Albania on that of Italy, the world at large will find some difficulty in reconciling the statements of Il Duce regarding the peaceful policies of the two dictatorships with the demonstrated facts. If the ise of arms is to be taken as an example of the type of peace which the dictators favour, then the sooner they realize that this is just the sort of peace which the world cannot, ud will not accept the better. Even supposing it is possible to accept Signor Mussolini's word that he and his colleague are really desirous of peace, may it not very well be that that desire arises from necessity of having time in which to digi what each of the two Axis Pow ready bitten eff? If that view is accepted, then it may be correct to state that Il Duce and Der Fuehrer may at the present time be desirous of peace, and quietness while preparations are being made for the fulfilment of further designs which must imperil the of the world The reference to Rome's World Fair will deceive no one. Is it to be believed for one moment that such an event, minute compared with the ambitions of the Italian and German Governments, would for one moment lead to the postponement of war should either of them desire to embark upon hostilities The question has merely to be asked to receive an answer. If indeed such a fair would ensure the world's peace then it might be assumed that all prospect of warfare has been postponed until after it has been held, making 1943 the very earliest year in which trouble can be expected. The real issue has been squarely put by President Roosevelt's plea for a ten years' pledge of peace. If both Germany and Italy are really desirous of peace there can be no real reason why such a pledge should not be given. Were it given it would mean that both German, and Italian plans for further expansion would at least temporarily be abandoned, and by what amounts practically to a rejection of the President's suggestion Siznor Mussolini has in fact served notice upon the world that there can be no question of peace until his, and his colleazue's aspirations are satisfied. That is what rejection must mean, just as much as the determination of Great Britain. France and Russia to resist further expansion by force at the expense of the smaller nations. There is no particular point im Signor Mussolini's objection that it is absurd to place the Axis nations on the bench of the accused. They have not in fact been put there. They reached that very prominent position entirely by their own actions, from which all the eloquence in th world will not remove the stigma of aggression. It has not been the armies of the democracies which have been invading, and capturing neighbour states. Their forces have not moved beyond any of their be daries, they have fired no shot, and have done no fighting. Those who have, cannot the circumstances very justly complain if they find themselves the cynosure of the s of all peace loving people, who are turally anxious as to what they will do next, and the best means of offsetting thi: continual menace to the peace of the world which the policies of the rulers of the 4
Powers have created.
The general trend of Signor Mussolini's remarks, from which some people derive a minimum of satisfaction, does nothing to mitigate the fact that President Roosevelt's plea for peace has been, or will be rejected That is the only fact with which the world at large is interested. The pledge asked for would be easy to give, but it is by no means clear that if it had been given it would have done a very great deal towards-reassuring the world. There have been so many promises and undertakings belied by the ultimo ate facts in recent years that such a pledge would have been regarded with a certain amount of uneasy suspicion not wholly unjustifiable in view of all that has occurred.
Thus it may be seen that while the granting of President Roosevelt's plea might have brought about a general betterment of the situation, so long as acquiescence was adhere ed to, it does not follow that the situation will be worsened by the rejection which now seems to be almost inevitable. Let it be admitted at once that Signor Mussolini's speech is at least honest. It serves notice on the world that pennament peace can only be obtained by the complete satisfaction of Italian desires and policies, and that if th satisfaction is not to be obtained by peaccfu! means resort to war is by no means improbable. That is the position which the world faces at the present time, and may continue to face until decisions come to be sought on the battlefield, or the Axis Powers are brought to the realization that the democracy ies are determined to offer such resistance to further attempts at territorial aggrandise- this time?" asked the cop. ment by force which may make war wholly unprofitable. Though President Roosevelt's attempt to bring about a better atmosphere has thus failed, that does not mean that the attempt was not worth the making. No statesman worth his salt would, in circumstances such as at present prevail, fail to make every endeavour to avert the peril with which Europe, if not eventually the whole world is threatened. But between those who look upon war as a weapon of policy, and those who regard it as a confession of failure there is so wide a gulf that it seems almost impossible to reconcile the two schools of thought. War should be regarded as something which should occur only when the arts of peace have definitely failed of their pur-Pose; that it should be regarded as one of the chief factors in diplomacy is just one of these other misfortunes which at present beset the world Premium On Adventure Another Shanghai sailing venture has ended. It did not result in disaster or loss of life: it ended in prison terms. A party of four Russians who leit here in a converted lifeboat lost their bearings and landed in the Pes es, and although the explanation of their plight is probably correct they will all spend a a Japanese prison for violating Japanese military secrets precautions. The justice of thi sentence on a party of distressed travellers is a matter of opinion for undoubtedly their intel tions were quite honest, but Japanese military law is a difficult institution to encounter, Generally speaking, however, it should help to restrain people in the Far East from embarking on these hazardous adventures. In this category in fact, dominating the situation—are the people attempting to cross the Pacific in junks. Half a dozen similar enterprises have been initiated in recent months, and with the exception of Dr. Petersen, of Japan, all have ended n disaster largely the result of ignorance of seamanship and knowledge of navigation of the vessels employed and a considerable degree o foolhardiness. Richard Halliburton, the American traveller, has been missing for some time in his junk trip to the Pacific Coast and whatever may have presented itself afterwards.
Steamers and aeroplanes have been diverted from their course to search for him and his party but without result, Another junk is now [at sea on a similar adventure and was able to leave Shanghai only two days before the American authorities very wisely decided to refuse to issue permits for any more voyage: Nobody wishes to dampen the spirit of advo ture. It would be foolish to do so even tod when most of the world is known and few parts still unexplored, but the embarkation on hazardous enterprises should be discouraged Colum discovered America with a descript crew including criminals liberated irom prison if they would join the expedition, but he d capable seamen and navigators. The majority of the people embarking on recent Pacific crossings have been amateurs not assessing the knowledge and experience of even the rawest members of the local Yacht Club.
These should be stopped.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.