WAR IN SEPTEMBER

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 189, 12 August 1935, Page 8

WAR IN SEPTEMBER

ABYSSINIA READY.

PERIL OF MISSIONARIES. " UNLIKELY TO LEAVE POSTS." Letters received from Abyssinia within recent weeks by Mr. Charles H. Barton, formerly a missionary in Abyssinia, now in Auckland, indicate that an outbreak of war is expected between Italy and Abyssinia as soon as the rainy season ends, about September 15. Abyssinia is preparing for the conflict, and Britain has made arrangements for all her mis-1 sionaries to leave the country should they so desire. Mr. Barton, who recently returned after five years and a half missionary experience in Abyssinia, expressed the opinion that Abyssinia, owing to its natural geographical defences, was in a good position to resist any attack made by a European force, even though that force were aided by air bombers. N.Z. Missionaries. New Zealand has direct interest in the position of the missionaries in Abyssinia for, according to Mr. Barton, there are now 14 New Zealanders doing medical missionary work there. "It appears that the British Government has made adequate arrangements for British missionaries to leave Abyssinia if they so desire," said Mr. Barton. '•Whether they will take advantage of these arrangements is doubtful. The latest letters from the field carry no suggestion that the missionaries will leave their posts. It is very unlikely that missionaries would leave the country at the time of its especial need for spiritual and medical help. They do not go into these countries with any great regard for their own skins." Except for the likelihood of bombing attacks on the capital city of Addis Ababa, said Mr. Barton, the mission stations were not likely to be in the zone of war. The only one in any great danger would be the newly-opened one in the town of Lallabala, a week's journey to the north of Magdala, which, it will be remembered, was the culminating point of Lord Napier's expedition. Communication with most of the posts was fairly difficult and any missionaries desiring to leave would have to travel from the interior by horse or mule to the capital. In addition to the New Zealanders, there were several Australians and some English missionaries, said Mr. Barton. There were 75 missionaries from America within the fellowship of the Sudan Interior Mission, and there were other missions operating from America, Sweden and Germany. The Roman Catholic missionaries were mostly from France, though there were some Italians. These latter would probably have left the field owing to the special circumstances.

"Progressive Monarch." Referring to the problems facing Abyssinia, Mr. Barton said that the people of the northern section of the country were of definitely Semitic origin ■while those of the south were more of a negroid type. It was a backward country, but under the leadership of the Semitic section it was gradually forging ahead. Its ruler, Ha'le Silassie, was no Eastern despot, but a progressive monarch with the interests of his country at heart. Abyssinia had enjoyed freedom from domination for 6000 years, and its people were of an independent type. If its ruler were to go beyond a certain point he would be deposed, and in the case of the present ruler that would certainly not be for the good of the country. The King, he said, had a well established intelligence service, which was very efficient. By this means the King had been supplied with information about the activities of Italy during the past eighteen mnotlis, and as a result the country had been developed to resist the Italian attack when delivered. It seemed, Mr. Barton said, that such an attack was in'evitable. Guerilla Warfare Probable. The Ab3 T ssinians were good fighting men, and they were armed with brand new rifles of European make, machineguns, and a certain amount of heavy artillery. They had their own munition work, and it was not likely that there would be any shortage of ammunition. Warfare would probably be of a guerilla nature, with the natives taking every advantage of the country's natural defences. Machine-guns, hidden in the rocky fastnesses, and in commanding positions in the narrow defiles, could inflict great damage on an invading army. The King of Abyssinia owned a number of aeroplanes, which he had used on many occasions on beneficent missions, but there was little likelihood that these would be used in war, except for observation. The geographical difficulties of the country with its enormous escarpments, and terrible mountain tracks offered a natural barrier that would be very hard to surmount. Personally, said Mr. Barton, he could not see that aircraft attack offered a sure solution of the problems of an invader.