Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1940. THREATS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 May 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1940. THREATS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

QIDE by side with the adoption by the servile Italian Press ° of a belligerently hostile and menacing tone towards the Allies, and with what appear to be possible indications of intended Italian aggression against Yugoslavia, there have been also within the last few days some more or less reassuring developments with regard to the situation in the Mediterranean A prominent place in this second category is taken by reports from the United States, not only that President KooseUlt is working actively to prevent an extension ol Ihe war into Italy or the Mediterranean, but that the United States Government has no thought at present of advising its nationals to leave Italy. There are no means of judging, at the moment, how far the expectations thus implied of the adherence of Italy to a non-belligerent policy are justified.

The danger appears, however, and cannot be discounted at all confidently, that in this instance, as in the inception of the present war, gangster politics ol a predatory type mai prevail over justice, reason and common sense. It appears to be established quite definitely that a great majority of the people of Italy infinitely prefer peace to war. There is much to suggest, however, that precisely the same might have been said of Germany on the immediate eve of the outbreak of hostilities. The former British Ambassador to Germany (Sir Nevile Henderson), for instance, has emphasised the absence of any sign of popular hostility to himself, as the representative of Britain, on the occasion of his departure from Berlin at the outbreak of war. Sir Nevile Henderson, indeed, contrasted this state of affairs with that ruling in Germany at the outbreak of war in 1914. On the reasonable assumption that a large proportion of the people of Germany were dragooned into war, it can hardly be regarded as impossible that the people of Italy may suffer the same fate.

Not very long ago, Italy was advancing claims by way of popular agitation, obviously sponsored and directed by the dictatorship, to the French territories of Tunisia and Corsica and to an important share in the control of the Suez Canal. Of late, little if anything lias been heard specifically about these claims, but there have been, bellicose assertions that Italy is determined, to assert herself as a Great Power and to secure what her present, rulers describe as a just revisionist peace. The current policy of the Italian dictatorship has been summed up not unjustly as one of attempted blackmail —-a policy of seeking to play off the A,'Hies against Germany and vice versa, with a view to extorting the greatest.possible concessions.

An opinion that the current “Axis revivalism” in Italy was more “diplomatic than fundamental,” was expressed recently by Mr Joseph C. Harsch, in an article in the “Christian Science Monitor.” Observing that it was an open secret in Rome that such leading figures in the Italian Government as Count Ciano, Marshal Balbo and Count Grandi had all moved away from the pro-German traditions of Italian Fascism, Mr Harsch added: —

The fact is that as the winter ended, Italy’s fence-sitting position was getting out of balance. Something had to be done to readjust it if Italy was to retain its precarious balance and its maximum bargaining power with the Allies. Since there were no important subordinates left who could or would do this effectively it was up to the Duce to do it himself. He did, and this is the key to the revival of Axis talk in the Press and the trip to the Brenner. He used his own weight as a counterpoise to the rising pro-Allied sentiment, striking attitudes and expressing opinions which enabled those who favour the German relationship to state with satisfaction that he is pro-German.

While he leans to the belief that the trend in Italy is away from intervention in the war, Air Harsch does not rule out altogether the possibility of Italy’s joining' Germany. That possibility rather obviously has been, heightened of late and it is becoming' difficult to attribute the development of Italian policy merely to a ’desire to placate Germany and to develop bargaining power. While, however, it would be foolish to minimise the serious extension of the war that would result from Italy’s intervention as the ally of Germany, an overwhelming weight of opinion in Allied countries may be expected to declare that there can be no thought of submitting to Italian blackmail, and that Britain and France have taken the only course reasonably open to them in sending a battle fleet to Alexandria. WILL THE RATEPAYERS VOTE? people no doubt have made up their minds and formed their own opinions on the merits of the water-supply loan proposal to be submitted to a poll of Masterton ratepayers tomorrow. On any occasion, of the kind, however, no very practical purpose is served by the formation ol: opinion unless those who are entitled to do so —ratepayers and the wives or husbands of ratepayers —-go to the poll and lodge their votes. Tn all. local body areas, and at all times, there are some ratepayers who always vote against a loan proposal, on the ground, apparently, that any attempt to increase the rates for anv purpose whatsoever must be wrong. Probably this dogged and diehard section of voters constitutes always a small proportion of the total number on the roll, but the voting weight of even a small section, may be decisive if only a minority of those entitled to do so exercise their electoral privilege. On a question like that to be decided at tomorrow’s poll, a true expression of the opinion of ratepayers can be obtained only if there is reasonably heavy polling.

All qualified voters should feel it incumbent on them, in these circumstances, to go to the poll. It would perhaps have been easier to secure a Tull attendance of ratepayers in the height of summer, when the serious inconveniences of water shortage were making themselves felt, than in these wintry days. After all however, the conditions of water shortage, from which seasonal relief was obtained only very recently, are fresh in memory and the desirability ol: doing something' to modify these conditions before another summer comes round should be appreciated correspondingly. The Borough Council, and its Engineer (Mr ('. li. Mabson) have made an earnest effort to grapple with the position and have submitted what they declare to be a practical and economical method ol augmenting the existing water supply. It is surely not too much to ask all ratepayers who can possibly do so to go Io the poll tomorrow and record their volt's. A poor poll might easily, result in a decision which a majority of the ratepayers woidd regret. The one way in which any individual ratepayer can help to avert in his or her own cast', a disappointment of that kind, is to make a point, of voting.