3 JULY 1936, Page 5

Italy and the World The relation of Italy to the

League and to international discussions generally remains problematic. The elaborately plausible memorandum which she placed before League delegates on Tuesday advances matters very little. Half of it consists of specious verbiage going to justify an aggression which the Assembly has already unhesitatingly condemned, and the remainder is devoted to spontaneous undertakings that Italy will give periodic information to the League regarding her administration of Abyssinia, will maintain reasonable labour conditions and freedom of worship and will refrain from raising black armies in the territory. This, it may be said, does argue some respect for the League and its good opinion, but there is no ground for attaching weight to these or any other Italian-pledges after the recent demonstrations of what an Italian signature is worth, and anything like a formal acceptance of Signor Mussolini's assurances would at once be interpreted at Rome, and with some justice, as a form of condonation of Italy's " civilising action " generally. Her policy in regard to Abyssinia has in fact not a single redeeming feature. The Italian journalists who were expelled from the League Assembly on Tuesday for brawling, and subsequently imprisoned by the Swiss authorities, showed themselves true sons of their country, and were rightly so hailed by the Italian Minister of Propaganda.