ABRUPT END TO GOODWILL CRUISE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20730, 14 February 1939, Page 6

ABRUPT END TO GOODWILL CRUISE

Deplorable as are the conditions leading to the recall of the Italian warships from their “goodwill” cruise in Central and South American waters, the reception given the fleet must cause Italy to ponder deeply. Panama’s outburst, which included the pelting of the admiral with rotten eggs, was fomented particularly by the Italian statement that the attitude of America had removed the Italian frontier to the Panama Canal. But similar hostile demonstrations occurred elsewhere in Central and South America, and so strong was the feeling that the fleet has gone home to Italy. Italian feeling over the incidents may well be imagined.

It is a sorry commentary on international relations that a “goodwill” fleet should be given such a reception on the other side of the world. If the lesson is driven home to the Italian people, well and good, but it is more likely that the incidents will serve only to increase hatred. The demonstrations were the more significant in view of the fact that most of the South American States contain considerable Italian populations. Obviously the “totalitarian” States’ policies are not popular among the majority of the people anywhere on the American continent.

Feelings are, of course, roused much more easily in Central and South America wiitli their large Latin populations than, for instance, in British countries. Britons would like to think that if an Italian fleet visited, say, New Zealand on a purely goodwill mission it would be given a friendly reception. And it would, as was demonstrated by the recent visit to New Zealand of the German ship Ivommodore Johnson. But of course it must be remembered that the Germans or the Italians have not threatened to move their frontiers to New Zealand, and it may be that the hostility of the American reception will teach the lesson that threats and swashbuckling are not wanted in the greater part of the civilised world to-day.