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STANDS ITALY WHERE SHE DID?
1938.
very good thing that the Govern- ment should be made to realise that the nation is not in a mood to make indefinite sacrifices for a policy whose aims, methods, and probable results are all equally suspect."
The "suspicion" is-and it was voiced in unequivocal words to Sir Thomas Inskip-that the Gov- ernment's policy tends to support totalitarianism and not the Gov-, ernment of Spain. Therefore, the Government should not be assist- ed to arm the nation. There may be there is great sympathy among many people for the losing side in Spain and a strong sec- By far the most intriguing fea- tional opinion that England should ture of the week-end crisis over have been as free in help to one Czecho-Slovakia, in which breath-side as Germany and Italy were ing space, if no more than that, to the other. Why should that has now happily been gained, prevent us now from protecting was the attitude taken by Italy. ourselves in a perilous world? The Berlin-Rome axis played no Whoever has been wrong or right, part in the diplomatic exchanges. party reprisal will not serve the Not by word or deed did Rome national need. openly influence events, that is, the
*
if emphasis is placed on Restless Miners
*
word 'openly'. The official stand- point adopted was that Czecho-
The "suspicion" seems to find Slovakia was of no concern to its climax in a mood of the South Italy, though it was strongly Welsh miners, fiery vanguard of hoped that a peaceful settlement the Left, who are reported in would be achieved. In a situa-
a responsible quarters to be in tion bristling with scope for very restless mood, following the speculation, nothing could arouse return home of a number of their keener interest than this. For
comrades, who were badly wound- such influence as Rome broughted while serving with the Inter- to bear emerged from her de-national Brigade in Spain. Their tachment, aloofness. That wäs general secretary openly talks of very plain, just as it seems equal-la strike to force a change of ly clear from the apparently Government policy, a perfectly guileless question in the House futile proposition, but symptoma- of Commons, as to whether Count tic of the blind doctrinaire spirit Ciano had discussed the results to be found in many who live by of the Hitler-Mussolini conversa- the spoken word.
tions with Lord Perth, with its Major-General Sir Frederick affirmative answer, that the Brit-Sykes has pointed the moral in ish demarches in Prague and his examination of the output of Berlin were made in the full military aeroplanes. Under pre- knowledge that Italy could be ex-sent organisation, the British pected to stand aside. Taken in maximum output is about 200 conjunction with later Italian machines a month, with the pros- press comments, the conviction, pect of another 100 a month from for instance, of "La Stampa" that the shadow factories, when they the lesson to be drawn from the begin to function at the end of crisis was the urgent necessity this year. Against this, Ger- for co-operation between the many's production is stated to European Powers, Italy's part ap-be 350 per month, with an emer- pears to point in one direction gency productive capacity of and one direction only. That is about 600,--
that an alliance which was never The next steps to quicken the much more than an alliance of tempo of Britain's rearmament convenience may be nearing the are apparently expected to be end of its usefulness. Il Duce's taken by agreement between em- immediate interests, apart from ployers and employed, as pre- his ultimate ambitions, courtsel liminary conversations between [reconciliation with Britain and the Government and the indus- France, the moral of whose mil-trial interests are said to have itary conversations in London on terminated for the present. the eve of the meeting in Rome
could not have been lost upon him Gas Masks
and yet, significantly, Herr Hit-
ler's departure was accompanied All this time, one of the prin- by a very clear pronouncement cipal topics of the newspapers that no military alliance had been continues to be the use and dis- entered into by them. Mussolini's tribution of gas masks, including answer to the anchsluss was the special models for babies. The agreement with Britain, renounc- whole situation becomes, in any. ing the claim to Mediterranean pause for thought, as grotesque domination. Have the events of and terrifying as the masks them- the past few days been a fur-selves seemed before everybody ther intimation that partnership became used to the pictures. An with Germany is no longer a cri- English householder's favourite tical necessity for Italy?
The Cherub
»
paper to-day is not that which provides the most attractive crossword, but the most practical adviser on the construction of gas Disarmingly bland and con-raid trenches. ciliatory, Sir Thomas Inskip is The announced universal "dis- known in the lobbies at Westmins-tribution of masks within eight ter as "The Cherub", and not hours would seem to demand from him will the public hear of vast organised corps of distribu- grave difficulties arising during tors. Even the English habit of the conversations with the unions queueing might not withstand about rearmament work, what the emotions of an air raid, ever he might say after the ques- though it is hoped, no doubt, that tions had been resolved.
all this preliminary familiarity Nevertheless, the gravest diffi- with the idea would help to allay culties are reported to exist, and panic in the hour itself. To apply to have arisen from political dis-one of the cliches of the moment, like of the Government. A Radi- the community has become mask- cal paper exceeding in its party minded.