6 DECEMBER 1935, Page 1

NEWS OF THE WEEK

THE' closing words of an article by General Ternperley in Wednesday's Daily .Telegraph—" Can the Italian. army win, the war before sanctions. lose it ? Effective petrol sanctions would of course be decisive "—say in plain language all it is necessary to say about the existing diplomatic situation. Members of the League of Nations, having imposed sanctions in order to prevent an aggressor from carrying through his plans and profiting by his aggression, have it immediately in their power to Make their ,a.etion decisive. As they are preparing to do that there is a significant renewal both at Paris and at Rome of rumours of peace. That is satisfactory. Mr. lialdwin was perfectly right on Tuesday in his defence of dualism—the imposition of sanctions and the simul- taneous prosecution of efforts for peace. But there would be no kind of justification for relaxing sanctions— in particular for further postponing a petrol embargo,' which ought.t to have been Imposed weeks ago—in order. that peace discussions may proceed. It is. manifestly to .Signor Mussolini's interest to get- petrol sanctions. delayed , on. any plea, and . to agree to a postponement would be to play straight into his hands. , Mr. Baldwin's dualism is right, but it must be a real dualism.