THE BOMBING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 69, 3 January 1936, Page 5

THE BOMBING

ITALIAN ADMISSION.

REPRISAL FOR AN EXECUTION. AIRMAN'TAKEN BY ETHIOPIANS'. BOMB FALLS ON SWEDISH TENT. “YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE.” (United Press Association —Copyright.) * (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) ROME, January 2. The Italians admit the bombing of the Swedish Red Cross. A semi-official statement says: “The raid was a reprisal after the Abyssinians beheaded a captive, FlightLieutenant Minnitti. Accompanying the bomb was a message: “You killed one of our airmen taken prisoner, by cutting off his head, which was carried in triumph on a spear-point to Harrod, against the laws of humanity and the International Convention, ” which lays down that prisoners are sacred. You will get in return what you have deserved.” During the bombing one bomb fell on the tent of the Swedish Red Cross encampment. 'lt seems that two Swedes were wounded and a number of Abyssinians killed or wounded. The bombing was on a very large scale.” ITALIAN PRESS SARCASTIC. MILITARY MISSION ALLEGED. (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) ROME, January 2. The Italian Press, preparing to meet a foreign outcry, insists that the Swedes were members of a Swedish military mission. The “Giornale d’ltalia” asks if, in the face of the Abyssinian war methods, the world expects Italy to order soldiers to put cork tips on their bayonets and fill their bombs with eau de cologne.' .It adds: “Stockholm should tell us whether it desires aviators, before proceeding with bombing operations, to lower a couple of men bv parachute to ascertain whether any Swedish physician is in the neighbourhood.. ( ... ... ...... ! A LESS SERIOUS ASPECT. LONDON, January 1. Dr. Hanner (Swedish Consul in Addis Ababa) has telegraphed to Sweden that statements by the Abyssinion Foreign Office aronse hopes that the bombing of the Swedish Red Cross Unit may be less serious than was originally ' announced. Baron von Rosen’s Red Cross aeroplane was unable to leave Dessie for Addis Ababa because of violent rains, and it is not known whether another aeroplane has left Addis Ababa to fetch Dr Fride Hylander, the commander of the unit. WOUNDING OF THE DOGTOR. WHILE PERFORMING OPERATION (Received This Day, 11.30 a.m.) ADDIS ABABA, January 2. Dr. Fride Hylander was wounded while actually performing an operation in a tent at the Swedish Bed Cross unit, of which he is commander. TWO SWEDISH DOCTORS WOUNDED. INTENSE MACHINE-GUNNING. ADDIS ABABA, January 2. It is officially announced that two Swedish doctors were injured, 30 Abyssinians were killed and 40 injured, including many patients, during the bombing of, the Swedish Red Cross unit. The ambulance was encamped at least a mile from the nearest troops, and was surrounded by Red Cross flags. The unexpectedness of the attack was increased by the fact that Italian ’planes had previously flown over the ambulance without attacking it. All food, medicines, and two lorries were destroyed by intensive ma-chine-gunning. WORLD-WIDE INDIGNATION. IL DUCE DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF ATTACK. STOCKHOLM, January 2. Messages of sympathy and indignation from throughout the world are continuing to pour into the Swedish Red Cross headquarters, some comments comparing the outrage to the sinking of the Lusitania. The Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “ Tidningein ” spoke to Signor Mussolini by telephone. II Duce denied knowledge of' the bombing, saying: “If anything like that had happened I should be informed immediately.” He added: “I am not opposed to Red Cross activities, and I regret if the calamitous mistake occurred.”