Agreement with Italy Signor Mussolini has received many tributes and
con- gratulations on the part he has played in the Munich conversations. For him, however, the most solid satisfaction must be that only by avoiding a general war could he avoid the dangers to which his regime was exposed last week. It appears indeed that the crisis may have shown so clearly the perils of Italy's present position that Signor Mussolini may now genuinely seek to establish closer relation, with Great Britain and France. The first sign of such a rapprochement will be the despatch, after an interval of two years, of a French Ambassador to Rome and the recognition by France and Great Britain of Italian sovereignty in Abys- sinia. The second, and more important, would be a settlement of the Spanish problem. It is reported that the Anglo-Italian agreement will come into force in the immediate future, and that a settlement will be reached on terms involving complete withdrawal of volunteers, and complete stoppage of supplies to both sides in Spain. If such an agreement is reached, and genuinely observed, the end of the Spanish war will be in sight. But it is only in the stage of being talked of so far. * * * *
Previous page
