THE LEAGUE'S PRESTIGE
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—The fact that we promised to assist Abyssinia and are now deserting her apparently causes Government sup- porters no uneasiness. But, even if we are to judge the case only by the standards of Power Politics, the course we are taking is surely a very dangerous one. For there is no deny- ing that to condone the Italian invasion of Abyssinia is to invite a German invasion of Austria.
I happened to be in Germany when the War in East Africa began. I was very much struck by the way in which my Nazi friends reacted to the news that England was insisting that the League should impose sanctions against Italy. They realised for the first time that the League was capable of becoming something a great deal more formidable than the mere talking shop as which their leaders had taught them to regard it ; that, if the members chose to use its machinery firmly, it could in fact make aggression dangerous or im- possible.
. My impression is that this feeling was sufficiently widespread to be a positive factor in restraining the more bellicose members of the Party. At any rate, it is significant that it was only when the British Government began to weaken in its purpose, toyed with the Hoare-Laval plan and failed to press home the demand for oil sanctions, that Hitler took the risk of tearing up the Locarno Treaty and marched into the Rhineland. If now we throw up the sponge altogether the effect on German opinion will be unfortunate in the extreme and the danger of German aggression will be greatly increased.
The brutal truth is that we have to choose between standing up to Mussolini today and facing Hitler tomorrow. Can any- body be in doubt as to which is the more formidable opponent ?
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