"WHILE THE GOING IS GOOD"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 76, 22 December 1937, Page 4

"WHILE THE GOING IS GOOD"

"Signor Feriero," the famous Italian historian of the Rofnan Empire,M writes Mr J. A. Spender, in the "Yorkshire Observer," "thinks that the rearmament of Great Britain has led certain persons to the conclusion that they must be up and doing while the going is good and -before Britain is strong enough to make their operations too dangerous. Hence Signor Mussolini's aetivities in Spain and the Japanese attack on China in the Far East. Mussolini, according to this versiou, pluuges into Spaitt because he sees British navil power rising to a point which would make competition with it hopelesg in the Mediterranean unless he can rely on an Italianised Spain, Japan sees naval bases being prepared in the Pacific, the naval strength both of Britain and the XJnited States mounting up, the military and air-power of Soviet Rnssia becoming more and more dangerous. She conclndes that she must aet now or never. On this theory Spain and China are victims.of a last efforfc by Italy and Japan respectively to get their way before circumstances become too strong for tliein. Possibly it was some such thought which led Mr Eden oii behalf of the British Government, to reveal the sCale of British preparations in his speech at Geneva. This may lead certain ambitious people to eonsider whether, even now, the balance of power is what they assumed it to be when they set out on their adventures. It is like one [ of those roadrsiyn&ls warking a dangerous cross-road ahea4" ■J