TREATY VIOLATED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1939, Page 5

TREATY VIOLATED

GREECE & TURKEY GREATLY PERTURBED CONCEFITED MOVE BY BERLIN ROME AXIS. OPINION ON ITALY’S ACTION. (Independent Cable Service.) - LONDON, April 9. Commenting on the invasion of Albania, the “Sunday Times” says that the Italian action is a direct violation of treaty obligations. “The maintainance of Greek and Turkish independence is most urgent,” says the paper. “Both are greatly perturbed over the invasion of Albania and the concentration of troops in the Dodecanese Islands. “Responsible quarters express the opinion that an attack on Greece would bring immediate aid from Britain. “The Times” in a leader yesterday says that the Italian operations in Albania will doubt-jess rank in textbooks as a model of totalitarian startle gy. The surprise choice of Good Friday was doubtless a cynical element in the plans of concealment. “While the Italians outnumber the Albanians 40 to one,” continues the paper, “it remains to be seen how Nazi and Fascist ingenuity will reconcile invasion with the Italo-Albanian treaty. - “Most capitals of Europe consider the Duce’s stroke part of a concerted Italian and German reply to the nonaggressive Powers’ move toward consolidation. Britain has a peculiar right to examine the intentions of a move threatening to disturb the stability of the Mediterranean.” The “Daily Express” says: “Keep the thing in its true proportion. Do not let the violence of the deed lead to alarmist views. This does not constitute a disturbance of the general peace of the world. Since 1927 Italy has been nominally the ally but actually the suzerain of Albania. “To Yugoslavia the invasion must bring acute anxieties, but there are two things to say: First, that Yugoslavia belongs to the German economic orbit already, and, secondly, that the Italian aim to convert Albania into a Roman bastion may not be so easy to realise in practice.” ITALIAN REPLY NO INTENTION TO VIOLATE AGREEMENT. “BRITAIN’S ENCIRCLEMENT POLICY.” (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) ROME, April 9. Signor Virginie Gayda. in the “Voce D’ltalia,” referring to the suggestion that the invasion of Albania infringes the letter and spirit of the Anglo-Ital-ian agreement, says: “Perhaps Britain is never satisfied and intends to extend her encirclement policy to the Adriatic against Italy as she is doing against Germany. Italy does not recognise any vital Anglo-French interests in Albania. Italy has no intention of violating for any reason either the spirit or letter of the agreement. If Britain wishes to have a different opinion she can take the consequences/’