MUSSOLINI AND THE MUSSULMANS.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 55, 20 March 1937, Page 4

MUSSOLINI AND THE MUSSULMANS.

Mr Ward Price, one of the best known battle-front corjrespondents of the Great War and now apparently in the service of Lord Rothermere's "Daily Mail," seems to be paying speeial attention just now to Continental dictators, with whom he looks like being ''persona grata." It is not so very long ago that he was ma.de the vehicle of a message of good will to Great Britain and of generally pacific intentions to the world from Herr Hitler. To-day we ha.ve him transmitting a similar, though much briefer, message from Signor Mussolini. In each case the journalist has no doubt ^>een made use of to convey» in this sort of side way, intimations that it is thought safest to keep out of formal diplomatic correspondence. In any event, Signor Mussolini is now represeiited as being strongly desirous of cultivating more cordial relations between his own country and Great Britain. At the same time, however, he indicates pretty clearly that this cannot be brought about unless and untijl his forcible annexation of Abyssinia is offically recognised. This he virtually says when he declines the invitation to be represented at Xing George's coronation nnless the like invitation to the exiled Emperor of Abyssinia is withdrawn. On this point Great Britain has taken tbe stand that it is one to be decided by tbe League of Nations — of which Italy is still a member — and from that she is not likely to shift. In the meantime Italy's process of "civilising" the conquered territory and people is being continued much as it was begun — by terrorism and suppression imposed by superior military strength. "From the colonial viewpoint," says Signor Mussolini> "Italy is satisfied," a kind of limitation which implies there are other respects in which his ambitions have not yet beeu fulfilled. As a matter of factj while thus professing to speak fairly towards Great Britain, he is at the very moment engaged in what can only be construed as a campaign, so far merely a spectaeular one, designed to stir up trouble between Great Britain and the Moslem peopjies under her rule or protection. In more directions than are openly a.pparent Italy has set hers?lf deliberately to the task of undermining British authority among them. His magnificent proclamation of himself as "Defender of the Faithful" is only an overfc part of it.

For years his agencies have been at work in Egypt stir ring up a spirit of revoEt againsfc anything that could be interpreted as British domination. For the time being that movement has been effectively countered, but there is not wanitng significance in the fact that» as part of his present triumphant tour of North Africa, he formally declared open a new highway to the Egyptian frontier that, if occasion occurs, will enable him to pour his legions across the border* Nor does there seem any reason for doubting the reports that a great deal of the disaffection among the Arabs with which Great Britain has to deal in Palestine is being sedulously fomented by Italian agencies in one shape or another. At the same time5 too, it cannot be overlooked9 that a very large proportion of the population of India professes the Mohaniedan faith and that there, too, Great Britain has a critical experiment in government at work. There is thus a good deal more than a mere gratification of his love for display and self-advertisement in the Italian dictator's progress among Mussulman peoples. Nor is it to be ignored that, according to the reports he sends out, he is being greeted with acclamation by races whose tradi tions and religion both tend to the idolising of the military victor. At the same time, too, there is no secret made of the fact that Signor Mussolini is coincidenta'lly satisfying himself as to how far he could block the Mediterranean as a 'means of transport and communication between Great Britain and her Eastern possessions or protectorates. #