SWEEPING GAINS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 236, 5 October 1935, Page 9

SWEEPING GAINS

ENEMY LITERALLY MOWN DOWN. ABYSSINIA’S DEAD ESTIMATED AT 5000 ADOWA’S FALL EXPECTED MOMENTARILY United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) ADDIS ABABA, October 4. Mr. /Noel Monks, the Sun-Herald news service correspondent, states that terrific battles are being fought on the Eritrean frontier, resulting in heavy losses to both sides. The Abyssinians are selling themselves dearly and were on the point of winning a big battle for possession of Maibaria, near Aksum, to-day, when the Italians brought on their air raid, and then the tank corps. Massacre followed. After a battle that lasted all night the Abyssinians were forced to give up Mount Ramab, a good strategic position. The Government official who returned from Adowa by aeroplane to-day feared that even more than 1700 were killed and wounded. He said that most of the inhabitants were sleeping at the time of the raid and whole families were wiped out. Mr. Monks adds: "There are still 40,000 men unarmed in Addis Ababa because there is not a single rifle left. "The biggest massacre the world has known is now well under way.’’ Tanks Mow Down Abyssinians. The correspondent adds that Italy’s mechanised army had decided victories over the primitive, bare-footed Abyssinians along the north-eastern frontier to-day. It is considered only a matter of hours now before Adowa falls and Mussolini s first big objective is reached. Italian tanks literally mowed their way through the Abyssinians at Maibaria and Mount Ramab, capturing both points. In the meantime a pathetic S.O.S. message was received here from Ras Seyoum, who for 24 hours has been gallantly defending Agame. It read: “Fighting to the last man. Unable to hold out much longer.” We waited for hours for further news, then came the flash: “Agame has fallen.” Even the Emperor knows no more than that. American Negro as Air Hero. Abyssinia’s hero to-day is Johannes Robinson, an American negro pilot, who was returning to Addis Ababa from Adowa with urgent dispatches when he was attacked by two Italian ’planes which, after a brief fight, turned and flew towards Eritrea. Pilot Robinson said that Adowa could only hold out to-night unless the forces there were reinforced. It is officially estimated that 5000 Abyssinians died since yesterday and that as many more were wounded. The Emperor is determined not to declare war on the invaders. The weather is getting unbearably hot, and this is greatly in Abyssinia’s favour.