"EMIR ALI."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 49, 27 February 1935, Page 5

"EMIR ALI."

WAR IN ABYSSINIA.

ETHIOPIAN IN AUCKLAND

EXILE AFTER REBELLION.

"I certainly think the statement attributed to the Ethiopian Minister at Rome that 'Ethiopia will fight to the last man, woman and child' is an exaggeration, but, at the same time, I am quite certain the Ethiopians will give the Italians more than they are looking for if it comes to war," stated Mr. Emirali, an old Auckland identity, in commenting on the Italio-Abyssinian dispute. Known in Auckland merely as Mr. Emirali, he is, in reality, the Emir Ali, a iirst cousin of the late King Mcnelik, of Ethiopia, and the scion of one of the oldest and noblest families in that ancient country. Nation of Warriors. "The Ethiopians are a nation of warriors, being recognised for centuries as such. Why, they arc trained as fighters almost as soon as they arc born," 5 continued Mr. Emirali. "I, m y~ self, as a lad of 15, accompanied my father with his a.rmy, into action." The majority of the Ethiopians were cavalrymen, born in the saddle, and mounted on the finest horses in the world, Mr. Emirali explained. Mounted on these hardy, sure-footed animals the Ethiopians could go for days with but little sleep, and with only a handful of bread and raw meat a day to eat. Water was the soldier's ordinary liquid ration on a campaign, but when circumstances permitted issues of arak, .or native gin, and wheat beer, were made. The men were accustomed, to sleep in the open with no coverings save their cloaks. ' The army could, therefore, live on the land it passed through, consuming reserve rations in desert country, so that the question of elaborate commissariat arrangements did not exist. All this was thei.r advantage, added to a mobility not possessed by modern European armies wliere mechauised warfare is not possible.

Repeating that if the Ethiopians and Italians met armed with similar weapons, the former would thrash the Italians as they had done before, Mr. Emirali gave additional reasons for this contention. Ethiopia was a mountainous land with many great stretches of waterless and nearly waterless country. Xo proper roads existed, and there were 'hut few well defined trails. Most of the mountain tracks were the eecrets of the tribes in the vicinity —secrets carefully guarded by them on account of the comparatively recent never-ending internecine strife. With a united Ethiopia such as existed to-day this knowledge i would be pooled, .so that to the army of j the country the wilderness would be an open book,'whereas to a foreign invading force, with little or no knowledge of the terrain, progress would be correspondingly slow. Thus the Ethiopians could continually harass the advancing foe by "hit and run" tactics, striking suddenly and sharply, and disappearing over ground impenetrable to the enemy. By lightning and frequent attacks of this kind, naturally most nerve-wracking to the continually apprehensive defenders, the morale of the Italian army could, to an extent, be affected, and the vital transport system disorganised. The forest-covered mountain ravines provided excellent cover for the Ethiopians and, should war really eventuate, it was possible that tho Italians might be trapped by the very methods which were responsible for their disastrous and humiliating defeat at Adowa on Italy's previous expedition to Ethiopia.

The fact remained that however brave, however astute and tactically expert in warfare the Ethiopians might b<;, the Italy of to-day possessed what might be tho whip hand in her aeroplanes. Ethiopia had none. Nevertheless the bombing of tribesmen in mountainous narts of India and Iraq by British Air Force machines had not proved coniclusivelv successful. In such a rugged country as Ethiopia armies could hide unseen* from the air, and hundreds, nay thousands, of caves provided natural bomb-proof shelters. The greatest danrrer to Ethiopian forces lay in the possible release of poison gas from the air. Fighting as a Boy.

I Questioned about his own experiences of military warfare in Ethiopia, Mr. Erairali explained that his active service, although it commenced when he was only 15, ended abruptly. His

father was one of the lesser kings of Ethiopia. As the result of a dispute with the paramount king, Theodore, the monarch who suffered defeat at the, hands of the British under Lord Napier, | Theodore's and air. Emirali's father's armies met in battle. The engagement lasted two days without interruption, , the lighting being particularly fierce. The lesser force of the Emir was unable to hold out longer against overwhelming numbers, and was defeated. The Kmir, in order to save the womenfolk of his family, who, according to Ethiopian custom had accompanied him in the campaign, broke awav from the main body of his army, and, with his household troops, retreated to a point whore his family would be safe. Then, with the young Ali mounted on his horse ahead of him, the Emir attempted to rejoin his army. The attempt ended in disaster. The Emir and his retinue were captured by a troop of Theodore 3 cavalry. The Kmir was condemned to death, and two days later the sentence was carried out by kuttow, the method reserved for noblemen —the arteries in both legs and both arms were severed, and he was allowed to slowly bleed to death. British Intervention. The young Emir Ali, as he now became as the result of his father's death, was brought before Theodore. Mr. Emirali, even after the interval of 70 years, has vivid recollections of that meeting. Theodore had a violent temper and threatened him with all sorts of dire penalties. Mr. Emirali fully expected to be sentenced to death. However, the British intervened, and instead of death it was ordered that I the young Emir Ali should be sent to England to be educated in a manner befitting his rank, at the same time as King Theodore's eldest son, the heir to the throne of Ethiopia. Mr. Emirali was taken to the coast under the escort of Captain Speedy, who had, previous to the British Abyssinian expedition, seen service in the Waikato, and members of whose family still live in the. Auckland district. They embarked in a P. and O. vessel.

Just prior to sailing the Emir Ali discovered that King Theodore's son was on board, en route to England and school. The death of Mr. Emirali's father by order of King Theodore had

automatically established a blood feud between the two families. At the suggestion of travelling to England in the same ship as Theodore's son the young Emir Ali revolted, and refused to sail. To prevent possible bloodshed Mr. Emirali was transferred to the transport Star of India. The young Theodore died soon afterwards while at Harrow School. The, young Emir \\\, after the freedom of the life in his homeland, after a year at school in England refused to stay longer. lie rejoined the Star of India, whoso captain and his wife, as well as a linn of London solicitors, had been appointed his guardians. He remained several years in this ship, where lie continued his English education under the guidance of the captain's wife, who lived aboard the vessel. In 1874 the Emir Ali joined the Waitangi and came to Auckland, to become Mr. Emirali and remain here